Northern Irish Finnebrogue in Top 100 UK fastest growing companies

Finnebrogue Artisan, the Northern Irish producer or pork and venison products, has been listed as one of the Top 100 UK companies in terms of fastest growing profits.

Based at Downpatrick in county Down, Finnebrogue is the only food processing business in Northern Ireland in the Sunday Times Track 100 of companies growing faster than ever. The list is produced by Fast Track, the Oxford research firm, for the Sunday Times in association with BDO and UBS.

Finnebrogue is listed at 70 and is among four from Northern Ireland. Formed by food entrepreneur Denis Lynn on his 600-acre estate near Downpatrick, Finnebrogue initially supplied venison products to restaurants, delis and then Marks and Spencer.

The company has since diversified to become among the UK's biggest sausage manufacturers including a brand developed with top Irish chef Paul Rankin as well as gluten-free sausages under The Good Little Company identity. It has pioneered "Flexitarian' products for those keen to reduce meat in-take.

Finnebrogue last year completed a £25 million, 160,000-sq-ft processing plant to increase international sales and for the development of innovative products.

The survey found that Finnebrogue achieved a 71.4 per cent in profits. The company, which employs over 200 people, is just one of four in food manufacturing from across the UK in the Top 100.

The Sunday Times BDO Profit Track 100, published annually since 2000, is regarded as the definitive league table of Britain's private companies with the fastest growing profits, measured over their latest three years of available accounts.

BDO's Stuart Lisle, commenting on the survey, says: "Mid-sized firms are the engine that drives this country. They deserve more government help."