Northern Ireland's Finnebrogue listed in 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain
Northern Ireland's Lynn's Country Foods, which trades under Finnebrogue, has been listed in a London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) report on the 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain.
The recently published list is described as "a celebration of some of some of the fastest growing and most dynamic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK".
As well as identifying 1,000 companies, the report examines in detail the opportunities and challenges facing SMEs and looks at the sectors and trends that will shape the future of the UK economy.
Finnebrogue, based at Downpatrick, county Down, is a leading supplier of venison and pork products from its own farms to major retailers in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The company employs over 300 people and is a family-owned and managed business headed by founder and managing director Denis Lynn.
The LSEG report says it is almost exclusively SMEs that have generated new, net job creation in the UK since the financial crisis. The public sector has shrunk and while large-caps are recovering, their hiring has not. Gazelle companies, post-2007, are proving to be the lifeblood of the UK economy.
"Celebrating the success of these SMEs is a shockingly under-reported story and we are determined to change that. Our report, 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain, seeks, for the first time, to identify 1,000 of the most exciting small and medium-sized companies in the UK.
"More needs to be done to raise awareness of the importance of these businesses. More needs to be done to nurture, support and encourage these companies, many of which are poised to be the blue chips of tomorrow. That support comes in many forms: from cutting red tape, to media promotion and providing access to appropriate finance. Given our role in the economy, we have a natural focus on funding and are committed to playing our part," according to the report, produced by Growth Intelligence for LSEG.
Finnebrogue, founded in 1981, has developed an impressive record as a supplier of top quality pork products, including a range of Rankin Selection Sausages; Outdoor Bred Pork, Outdoor Bred Pork and Herb, Outdoor Bred Pork and Spring Onion and Beef and Shallot which are currently supplied to Waitrose and Tesco NI.
The company also supplies all the premium own-label sausages in Marks & Spencer in UK and Ireland. In addition to supplying Marks & Spencer with organic chipolata sausages, venison sausages and a wide variety of outdoor bred pork sausages with flavours such as Apple, Lincolnshire, Chorizo and Sweet Chilli, Finnebrogue also supply Beef and Tewkesbury Mustard Sausages and Moroccan Style Lamb, Apricot & Mint Chipolata Sausages. Recent innovation has seen Finnebrogue launch of a number new stuffing products into Marks and Spencer stores.