Fresh veggie firm is top Northern Ireland food business

Gilfresh Produce has been named Northern Ireland's Agri-Food Business of the Year and Thomas Gilpin, founder of the business, has also been given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Farming Life / Danske Bank awards.

The awards also recognised the business acumen of Lorna Robinson, founder and managing director of Cloughbane Farm Foods, a leading supplier of meats and convenience foods to retailers in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Mrs Robinson won the Women of Excellence in Agriculture Award.

Gilfresh Produce is a family business that was established at Loughgall in county Armagh over 50 years ago. The family business began growing cabbages and scallions for the Belfast market.

It has since grown to supply fresh vegetables to retailers throughout the United Kingdom including leading supermarkets. It supplies now almost 3,000 products and has over 40 growers on the island of Ireland.

Gilfresh now supplies a wide range of fresh and pre-packed vegetables including broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, leeks, pak choi, parsnips, spring onions, sprouts, and swede.

Mr Gilpin, commenting on the awards, said: "It's a tremendous honour to be recognised as an outstanding Northern Ireland business and also to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Both are great recognition of the hard work of all at Gilfresh and the growers who supply superb products.

"We value greatly our growers and the relationship that we have with them is extremely important to us. We liaise with our growers and have developed close partnerships over the years based upon trust, support and a shared ambition to offer great tasting, locally grown vegetables."

The company had sales in excess of £18 million and employs around 130 people at Loughgall. It currently supplies retailers, hotels and restaurants and foodservice organisations.

Cloughbane Farm Food, based on the Robinson family farm at Pomeroy in county Tyrone, has become one of Northern Ireland's most enterprising food businesses and has developed a wide range of products using ingredients mostly sourced from the farm and neighbouring suppliers. It employs around 50 people and had sales last year in excess of £4 million.

There was also an award for Ballinteer Farm Quail as the Artisan Producer of the Year. Based near Limavady, Ballinteer Farm is Northern Ireland's only producer of quail and quail eggs.