Montgomery Food Consulting Announces £250,000 Investment in New Premises
Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster has officially opened Aughnacloy based, Montgomery Food Consulting Ltd's new premises following a £250,000 investment.
Montgomery Food Consulting is one of the leading food consultancy providers in food safety, quality management, training and interim technical support services in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The company's new premises include a training facility, a food innovation kitchen, and new workspaces.
Speaking at the opening, attended by clients, food manufacturers, butchers and many representatives from the food and hospitality sectors, Arlene Foster said: "Since its humble beginnings four years ago, Montgomery Food Consulting has placed a high priority on continued investment and innovation and I am pleased that it has continued to work with Invest Northern Ireland in developing the business.
"The company is a valuable employer in South Tyrone and its investment will not only enhance Montgomery Food Consulting's reputation across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, but also reinforce the capabilities of Northern Ireland's world class food sector."
Rhonda Montgomery, Managing Director of Montgomery Food Consulting added: "I established Montgomery Food Consulting in 2010 and since then, the business has grown rapidly.
"We've worked with Invest NI over the past couple of years, and the help, support and financial assistance offered has been invaluable. In particular, the small business loan has helped us to fast-track our expansion and avail of current growth opportunities. Ulster Bank has also been of great support during the past few years of exceptional growth."
Montgomery Food Consulting has grown 500% since its inception in 2010 and current clients include some of Northern Ireland and Ireland's largest names in food manufacturing such as Annaghmore Mushrooms, Island Salads, Annie's Traditional Foods, McKees Maghera, Morelli Ice-cream and the Hilton Meat Group.
In June of this year, Rhonda Montgomery launched a new service for butchers. The Butchery Excellence Scheme is a support body for butchers, offering expertise and services to ensure members adhere to legislation, encourage innovation and support of local business.
In addition to saving members thousands of pounds annually on training and adhering to legislation, members of the Butchery Excellence Scheme have access to the Montgomery Innovation Kitchen and Butchery Excellence Training Centre which was developed to cater for butchers' product innovation and skills training.
The company received a £30,000 loan from the NI Small Business Loan Fund towards its expansion. It has also recently benefited from £26,000 from Invest NI towards its business development activities including support to recruit a new Food Technologist and Administrator.