Crossgar Foodservice wins major contract in Republic


Crossgar Foodservice, Northern Ireland's leading food distribution business, has won a major contract from the Irish Prison Service worth around £5 million over the next three ears.



Crossgar Foodservice is supplying beef, pork, poultry and eggs to the prison service for meals in its 14 institutions throughout the Republic, as a result of its success in a competitive tender process.



The company, based at Seaforde in County Down, has won a series of public sector tenders in the Republic and will supply products to the prison service sourced largely from the group's Irish businesses which include Crossgar Meats, Crossgar Poultry and Crossgar Foodservice.



Michael Morrissey, Crossgar Foodservice's Managing Director, said: "This is an immensely important contract for the company and will further strengthen our position in the Republic of Ireland and encourage us as we seek to expand our existing business in Ireland.



"We have an excellent track record providing quality products to public sector clients in the Republic and Northern Ireland. Our products are sourced from our own established supply chain and offer provenance and value for money.



"Over the years we've invested extensively in our supply chain and also our distribution services to ensure that clients receive the quality products they require when they require them."



Crossgar Foodservice, which employs over 230 people, currently secures over 40 per cent of its business from public and private sector clients in the Republic.



Contracts won in the Republic have helped the company, which has sales of around €50m per annum, to achieve 25 per cent growth over the past few years.



The company has also gained a string of prestigious awards under its "Provenance Collection", which includes Glouchester Old Spot Pork, Dorset Lamb and Great Taste Award winning products such as Dexter Beef and Lissara Farm Free Range Corn Fed Chicken and Duck.



Crossgar Foodservice has a longstanding relationship with 3663, the UK's leading foodservice company and distributes products on its behalf throughout Ireland. This agreement gives Crossgar access to over 10,000 chilled, frozen, grocery and non food products.



Established in 1959, Crossgar Foodservice now includes many of the leading public and private sector organisations in Ireland among its customer base.