Sad passing of food innovator Denis Lynn of Finnebrogue Artisan

Denis Lynn, Chairman of Finnebrogue Artisan in Downpatrick, among the UK’s most innovative and successful food entrepreneurs, has died as a result of a tragic accident.

Mr Lynn was a pioneer in the development of plant-based foods in particular and won acclaim for his production of the revolutionary Naked branded bacon, ham and sausages made without nitrites and other chemical ‘nasties’.

His successful career in food in Northern Ireland is one driven by creativity from the earliest days in 1985 when he established Lynn’s Country Foods and developed original products including chips for catering from an innovative production process. He launched the chips in 1988 and they proved an outstanding success with hotels, restaurants and cafes in Northern Ireland.

Mr Lynn spotted a business opportunity to acquire an estate, near Downpatrick, on which he raised the UK’s biggest deer farm. He then created Oisin branded venison for top chefs such as Heston Bluementhal and high-end retailers especially Marks and Spencer.

The close relationship with the M&S product development team led to the creation of a range of premium pork sausages that also resulted in business with other supermarket chains.

The M&S partnership produced a pioneering product range geared to meet the emergence of the flexitarian diet which replaced meat content with plant foods. The Northern Ireland company subsequently moved to the forefront of flexitarianism.

In addition to these products, he demonstrated great social conscience by developing the Good Little Company to raise funds for projects in Africa in partnership with Mulanje Mission Hospital and Ripple Africa, both based in Malawi. This involved dedicating 50 percent of the profits annually, raising almost £1million to fight poverty there and empower these communities to enable them to achieve a sustainable future.

In 2017, Mr Lynn launched Naked Bacon, a revolutionary bacon made without nitrates and other ‘nasties’, which will be remembered as one of his most successful and enduring innovations. The bacon, quickly followed by ham, sausages and cooked, won the business international acclaim and also raised the profile substantially of innovation within the local food industry. Supermarkets and other grocery retailers throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland reacted enthusiastically to the product range and were all quick to add it to their listings. He also supported the plant-based Naked range by substantial investment in processing, marketing and new product innovation in other plant foods.

He was to go on to invest further in plant-based foods by developing Europe’s biggest processing and most technology advanced operation for such original products as Naked without the Moo beef burgers; Naked without the Oink sausages; Naked without the Cluck chicken pieces; and Naked without the Splash fish and chips. He completed the £25 million factory last year. An investment in technology enabled him to achieve an environment in which people would enjoy working. Over 1,000 people are currently employed at the three plants he developed near Downpatrick.