Venison producer doubles sales over Christmas

Finnebrogue, Northern Ireland's artisan producer of venison and sausages, doubled sales over the Christmas period. The farm-based company has grown turnover from £4 million to £18 million and quadrupled employees over the past three years. It is now implementing a plan to grow the business to £31 million over the next two years.

The company, which is based at Downpatrick in County Down, is a major supplier of venison and sausages of Marks and Spencer across the United Kingdom. It developed a range of innovative meals for M&S for the Christmas period.

As well as supplying M&S, Finnebrogue makes the Jimmy Doherty sausage brand, and supplies the Paul Rankin sausage brand to Waitrose and Tesco, with a combined turnover of £3 million.

The company also launched its own brand, Good Little Company, in 2009, which has become one of the fastest selling new brands in Waitrose.

Denis Lynn, Finnebrogue chief executive, says: "Our success over Christmas has set the company in good stead for this year and beyond.

"We will be launching a range of new sausage products for Tesco, new burgers for Marks and Spencer and new products for the retailer's Gloucester Old Spot Pork Heritage range."

Finnebrogue's longstanding commitment to innovation was recognised last year when it was gained a major Excellence in Innovation Award. The judges recognised "a culture of innovation that spanned the whole company, from people packing the sausages right up to the owner".