Article appeared in issue 5, 2021

Meat hall

STAND A040 B049

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ABP Ireland

ABP Ireland is part of the ABP Food Group, headquartered in Co. Louth. Its activities include processing, de-boning and retail packing beef and lamb with plants strategically located throughout Ireland. The award-winning company has a long and proud tradition of working with farmers and customers in supplying quality beef for worldwide markets. It supplies major retailers, foodservice clients, manufacturers and wholesale distributors. The company offers a range of premium-branded products such as TDA, Irish Nature, Certified Irish Hereford Prime, Certified Irish Angus and a comprehensive range of organic beef and lamb under the Good Herdsmen brand. ABP beef is reared on a natural, grass-based diet, carefully matured and subject to ABP’s patented ultra-tender process. It offers a wide range of bespoke beef products for the manufacturing sector in a variety of specifications in both fresh and frozen formats. It produces a full range of diced, minced and manufacturing products for convenience food and ready-meal producers throughout Europe.

ABP Ireland now includes the Slaney Foods and Irish Country Meats beef and lamb businesses following a recent acquisition by ABP Food Group. Farm assurance, animal welfare, food safety and sustainability ensure the highest standard of product integrity for ABP Ireland and the company is a Gold Member of the Origin Green Sustainability Programme.

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Dawn Meats

Dawn Meats is an Irish family-owned beef and lamb processing business, headquartered in Waterford, with plants positioned throughout Ireland in the heart of prime cattle and sheep farming regions. It is from these locations that the company exports prime, quality assured, grass-fed beef and lamb to over 50 countries worldwide. Exporting throughout the EU, UK and internationally, Dawn Meats’ reputation has been built on its ability to supply consistent, great-tasting, quality beef and lamb in whole muscle, retail pack, burger and manufacturing formats. Over the years, Dawn Meats has invested in local offices in many of its key markets to service its valued customers with their marketing and logistic requirements. Dawn Meats’ locally based staff help to ensure that its Irish beef and lamb always reaches the consumer in top condition. This combined approach helps maintain the premium listing for Dawn Meats’ produce throughout the world. If you are considering Irish beef and lamb, Dawn Meats would welcome the opportunity to work closely with you.

 

Dawn Farms

A family business with a global reach, Dawn Farms specialises in cooked ingredients for the pizza, sandwich, snack and prepared meal sectors. It is the only company in Europe to supply a complete range of ready-to-eat proteins for the B2B foodservice and manufacturing industry (meat and plant-based), including fermented and dried sausages (pepperoni, salami, chorizo), as well as extensive capability in format and cooking methods for chicken, bacon, ham and beef.

Exporting to over 50 markets, Dawn Farms supplies many of the world’s leading food brands from first class, ‘high-care’ facilities located in Ireland, the UK and Germany. Dawn Farms continuously invests in food safety, reflecting its commitment to its brand protection system, Food Plus. A founding member of Origin Green, all of its products are 100% free from artificial colours, hydrogenated trans fats, non-sustainable palm oil, nuts and monosodium glutamate and have complete farm-to-fork traceability.

Dawn Farms is passionate about innovative cooking technologies, driving added value and producing great products for customers. Continuously investing in key growth areas, backed by the latest insight-led innovations and technologies, Dawn Farms offers both ready-to-order and bespoke protein solutions. The core ranges are Batch 85, a carefully chosen selection of signature products made from authentic, simple and responsibly sourced meat ingredients, and Plant Deli, a range of great-tasting, plant-based protein options that are big on taste and backed by the same renowned craft and expertise as their extensive range of meat products. Both ranges are suitable for every application in the pizza, sandwich, snack and prepared meal sectors.

 

John Stone Fine Foods

John Stone Fine Foods is a global supplier of gourmet, dry-aged beef and lamb. Our heritage for dry-ageing began in 1975 under the guidance of our chairman John Stone, a pioneer within the beef industry. The company’s beef is dry-matured and cut to a kitchen-ready standard, which prioritises kitchen yield and food cost. Its cuts are prepared as 'centre of the plate' for fine dining and steakhouse concepts. Consistency in its products is something John Stone prides itself on, ensuring that beef is dry-aged to perfection every time. The company has a dedicated team of expert, traditional butchers who carefully select the valuable product, ageing the beef with patience and care. It has continued its commitment to innovation and standards with the achievement of the National Halal Mark from the Government of Dubai in the UAE. John Stone has had consecutive gold awards from The World Steak Challenge and meat critic James Byron. The introduction of skin-packed steaks on recyclable boards continues our innovation in the retail category. The introduction of a new 180g, dry-aged beef burger complements its 227g gourmet steak burger along with sliders, using custom blends of prime-aged beef to produce a homemade texture with the succulence to match. John Stone beef is served at the finest hotels and restaurants globally.

 

Kepak Group

Kepak Group is Ireland’s most innovative meat company with a rich heritage of over 50 years of meat craft. From the establishment of a family-owned butcher shop in Dublin in 1966, Kepak has grown significantly and today the group has a turnover of €1.5bn and employs over 5,000 people. Kepak has 12 manufacturing facilities throughout Ireland and the UK, with sales offices in Europe, the US, Asia and Africa. The group processes 500,000 cattle, 1.7m lambs and 450,000 pigs per year and markets a broad range of fresh and value-added meat products, serving the foodservice and retail markets. Innovation and quality are the lifeblood of Kepak Group’s business ethos. Kepak continuously invests in consumer insight and innovation through research and development. As a founding member of Origin Green, the group has a strong reputation for sustainable food production and farming practices. Kepak has a portfolio of market-leading brands including Rustlers, Big Al’s, John Stone, Stript Snacks and Celtic Beef.

 

Liffey Meats

Liffey Meats is ideally situated in the rich grasslands of Co. Cavan to take advantage of the supply of prime cattle from the surrounding countryside. Over the last 100 years, the company has evolved from a traditional family butchery to become one of Ireland’s leading beef processors.

Liffey Meats prides itself on adhering to the strictest quality policies and has always maintained its ethos of customer satisfaction. It has expanded its range of value-added products, providing convenience-led solutions for retail and foodservice. It boasts one of the largest, single-site abattoirs in Ireland, and with other sites in Carlow and Galway, slaughters over 150,000 cattle per year.

Liffey Meats manufactures a range of reformed, portion-controlled and pre-packed products, including value-added products in its Sheelin and Castlerahan brands, as well as private-label for retailers and foodservice customers across Europe. Its convenience foods include hamburgers, grill steaks and retail-packed fresh meat. Liffey Meats has invested heavily in convenience food R&D, not only in meat technology, but also in increasing packaging sophistication and enhancing long-life products. Its development team is ready to work with customers to bring products to market that meet consumer demands.

 

O’Brien Fine Foods

O’Brien Fine Foods is a family-run business, acquired by Bill and John O’Brien in 2000. Grown from humble beginnings, with only 18 employees, it now has a team of over 500 employees and continues to grow and evolve as a market-leading producer of premium Irish meats. O’Brien Fine Foods is the creator of the award-winning Brady Family brand, Ireland’s number one premium, sliced, cooked meats brand.

O’Brien Fine Foods takes pride in creating high-quality, award-winning meat products that use only 100% Irish grass-fed Angus beef and premium Irish pork. Each product is expertly crafted, traditionally cured, and slowly cooked in a signature Brady Family recipe. The company’s commitment to quality and taste has been recognised by retailers, resulting in O’Brien Fine Foods becoming the number one choice in producing own-label products for four of the five major retailers in Ireland, including Tesco and Lidl.

The company is committed to providing a top-tier level of service to its customers and ensure care and focus is always given to the smallest of details. As a family-run business based in the beautiful Irish countryside, O’Brien Fine Foods understands the importance of building a sustainable business to ensure the unspoilt surroundings are enjoyed by future generations. The company is passionate about safeguarding the local environment and constantly seeks ways to improve practices to uphold the highest environmental and animal welfare standards from farm to plate.

 

QK Meats

QK Meats was established in Ireland in 1991. From its beginnings in beef deboning and packing at its plant in Naas, Co. Kildare, it has seen many changes throughout its journey to establishing itself as a solid player in the worldwide protein market. With formidable expertise and resources, QK Meats expanded outside the EU and, following a period of investment, has established itself in Africa, Asia, the US and South America. With cold-storage sites, joint ventures, and commercial partnerships, it offers a stable platform for international trade that includes pork, poultry and lamb, priding itself on its great personal relationships with suppliers and customers alike. QK Meats is part of the larger Queally Group; the food and agri-business enhances its overall purchasing power within the industry and provides strong financial stability. With 30 years’ experience behind it, QK Meats emerges from the many challenges caused by the global pandemic in a strong position, ready to continue to provide a world-class, supply chain service as a trusted route to market and to deliver protein requirements.

 

Ribworld

Based in Fethard, Co. Tipperary, RibWorld has been in operation for over ten years. Ribworld specialises in ‘sous vide’ products, including pork ribs, pork fillets, and pulled pork, along with a wide range of other proteins including beef, chicken, duck and lamb. Flavours available include barbecue, hoisin, salt and pepper, Tex Mex, and many more. RibWorld provides top quality, slow-cooked (sous vide) products, such as their award-winning ribs, to retailers, foodservice, caterers and consumers in Ireland, the UK and across Europe. Having been acquired by Sofina Foods, the RibWorld brand continues to stand for excellence and quality. With a dedicated, new product development team and many years of experience in food processing and preparation, flavour and quality are the top priority at RibWorld. RibWorld prides itself on its innovation, working with international brands such as Jim Beam and Käfer, as well as a number of private label own brands, which have picked up prestigious prizes, including gold at the UK Great Taste Awards and Blas Na hÉireann (Irish Food Awards).

 

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Dairy hall

STAND F019

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Learn more about Irish grass-fed milk by visiting Irish dairy exhibitors on the Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board) Ireland Stand in Hall 10.1 on stand F019

 

Glanbia Ireland

Glanbia Ireland is a world-class, ambitious, and integrated agri-food and nutrition business, with a diverse portfolio of quality dairy and plant-based ingredients, alongside leading consumer and agribusiness brands including Avonmore, Wexford, Kilmeaden Cheese, Premier Dairies Milk, mymilkman.ie and GAIN Animal Nutrition. It exports high-quality dairy and agri ingredients, as well as branded products, to over 100 countries. Drawing from a three-billion-litre milk pool, Glanbia Ireland produces top-quality dairy products from grass-fed, pasture-raised dairy herds.

The Avonmore brand is now available internationally with a range of premium UHT milk and cream products, butter and cheddar cheese. The UHT portfolio includes whole milk (3.5%); semi-skimmed milk (1.5%); skimmed milk (0%); cooking cream (18%); and whipping cream (35%). The range is produced at a 100-million-litre, state-of-the-art UHT facility in Ireland and packed using premium Tetra ‘Edge’ packaging to ensure the best product quality, shelf-life integrity and premium presentation in market.

Glanbia Ireland is a joint venture, 60% owned by Glanbia Co-op and 40% owned by Glanbia plc. Established in July 2017, it combines Glanbia Ingredients Ireland, Glanbia Consumer Products and Glanbia Agribusiness. With annual revenue of €2bn, Glanbia Ireland has 11 processing plants, 52 agri branches and over 2,000 employees.

 

Dairy Concepts IRL

Dairy Concepts IRL has become a leading innovator in the global dairy snacks market by combining its entrepreneurial vision with Ireland’s scientific talent, quality dairy ingredients, global reputation and sustainable competitive advantage in dairy. The company’s latest product, CheeseOs, is a range of great-tasting ambient snacks that are high in protein, high in calcium, suitable for vegetarians and gluten-free. The best of Irish cheese has been gently cooked and seasoned to create deliciously crunchy, puffed cheese bites that don’t need to be refrigerated.

Sold in individual 25g portions and available in a range of popular flavours – Salt & Vinegar, Cheese & Onion, Cheddar, Sour Cream & Onion, Sweet Chilli, and Cheddar & Pickled Onion – they’re a great accompaniment to a beer or a glass of wine or can be enjoyed on their own, at home or on-the go. With nearly 10g of protein in every pack, they make a great healthy snack. Moorepark Crunchy Cheese is a similar proposition, made using speciality cheeses such as Mature Cheddar, Chilli Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar and Black Pepper Cheddar. Also available in 25g individual portions, these products are more premium than the CheeseOs range.

All products are made using 100% Irish cheese – arguably the best cheese in the northern hemisphere. With fertile soils, a temperate climate and abundant rainwater, Ireland has enviable natural advantages for farming, and 80% of farmland is used to grow grass. This means Irish cows have the freedom to graze outdoors for up to 300 days a year. They feed on fresh, lush and nutritious grass for the majority of the year thus producing the best milk which is then used to make the best cheese.

 

Carbery

Carbery is a leading global dairy company, providing a wide range of natural cheeses, along with premium quality flavours, extracts, essences, nutritional products, and specialised proteins. Carbery is headquartered in West Cork, Ireland, and owned by four local co-operatives. Milk is supplied by over 1,200 local, family-owned dairy farms. This co-operative ethos brings a commitment to securing a stable future for Irish family farming, and a belief that embracing sustainability is how this will be achieved. As part of this ambition, Carbery is currently spearheading a project to create a climate-neutral dairy farm in West Cork, together with BiOrbic, Ireland’s national bioeconomy research centre.

Carbery has been supplying high-quality cheese to domestic and international markets for over 50 years. They have a strong heritage in the production of cheddar cheese and specialised cheese products including highly functional Reduced Fat Cheese, Italian Style, and Inclusion Cheese. In 2020, the expansion to Carbery’s facility in West Cork, Ireland was completed. This expansion added Pasta Filata cheese, including Mozzarella and Grilling Cheese, to the broad cheese portfolio.

Carbery’s cheese is supplied to foodservice and industrial customers and leading consumer brands all over the world. Their true point of difference lies in how they marry exceptional quality milk with cutting-edge technology and expertise in the field of food science. Carbery is committed to constant innovation, and its R&D specialists work in partnership with global customers to develop new cheese products to meet consumer needs.