Cloughbane's handmade pies drive export growth
Northern Ireland's Cloughbane Farm Foods has recorded a 50 per cent growth in sales in the Republic of Ireland in the past year from the quality of its homemade lasagne and traditional meat pies.
Cloughbane, a farm spinout business, has linked up with the Tom Raymond food distribution business in Dublin and has won business in the Irish capital and in surrounding regions for its lasagne and award winning pies - the company's steak and onion and chicken, ham and leek pies recently gained gold Great Taste Awards, the first time it had entered products in the prestigious event.
In addition, Cloughbane's homemade stuffing gained a gold award in the competition. The company, based on a 180-acre cattle and sheep farm, near Pomeroy in Co. Tyrone, run by the Robinson family since 1906, has also tied up with Pallas Foods in Dublin for its lasagne and pies.
Other important customers for Cloughbane's range include ASDA, Musgrave Retail Partners and Henderson/Spar. Discussions currently underway could see Cloughbane pies on sale in deli counters in Scotland within the next few months. The family enterprise also has its own fleet of vans for direct distribution in the Republic and Northern Ireland.
All ingredients are sourced either from the family farm or neighbouring farms in the lush pastures of Tyrone. It remains a family owned and managed business that currently employs 36 people.
In addition to its broad portfolio of deli pies, Cloughbane supplies a comprehensive range of fresh beef, pork, chicken and lamb cuts, all from a modern processing plant approved to the highest EC hygiene standards.
Lorna Robinson, managing director of Cloughbane Farm Foods, attributes the company's success to increasing awareness in its key markets to the provenance and artisan nature of its products.
"Wholesomeness is important to us. Our focus, therefore, is on good, honest and wholesome food using only the best ingredients from suppliers we have known for decades and trust.
"All our products are handcrafted from ingredients, including vegetables, are freshly sourced from our farm and other local suppliers. The beef, for example, that we use in our deli range of pies is sourced from our own Angus and Limousin cattle and hung for at least 28 days to provide a distinctively tender, rich and succulent taste.
"As well as the developing business in the Republic and the interest from Scotland, our internet sales are growing steadily and we have a growing list of regular customers in Britain and further afield who recognise the benefits of handcrafted foods based on our heritage and dedication to wholesome foods as fourth generation farmers," she adds.