Dunleavy Meats Ltd is a third-generation meat processing business based outside Ballina in Co. Mayo that supplies quality beef products to the retail, wholesale and catering sectors in Ireland and overseas. Fronted by brothers John (Managing Director) and Brian (Production Manager) Dunleavy, the company employs 140 staff and is slaughtering 900 cattle a week.
From humbling beginnings, Dunleavy Meats has grown to become one of Co. Mayo’s most successful companies. The business was established in 1961 by Michael Dunleavy whose parents John and Maura built the Mayo Sligo Livestock Mart in Ballina.
For many years, Michael ran both the butcher shop and the family farm. As the reputation for the product grew, so too did the business. In 1998, works commenced on a new purpose-built abattoir and deboning facility about four miles outside Ballina on the Killala Road. Three years later, Dunleavy Meats acquired its EU licence and began to export.
Since then, through a high level of investment and building relationships with customers and suppliers, the company has grown substantially with about 85% of its produce now being exported. Its main export markets are mainland Europe, Africa, Philippines, and the Caribbean, with China and middle eastern countries on the horizon.
With Michael now retired, the family business continues to go from strength to strength under the direction of his sons John and Brian, who have been at the helm for well over a decade.
“We take great pride in providing the finest beef to our customers, who include wholesalers, local butcher shops and the high-end catering sector,” John explains.
“Our background has earned us a strong respect for the traditions of cattle raising and traditional butchery styles. We are constantly developing new products, offering a wide range from carcass to primal cuts. We are committed to expanding our customer-base in all international food markets and developing long-term mutually beneficial partnerships.
“We have doubled our staff and output over the past decade. We also supplied lamb for a number of years, but it has been beef only since about 2017.”
While the various ranges are produced to different quality criteria, they have two things in common. All cattle are selected by the company’s professional butchers for each range and produced from stock that have been grass fed which, of course, has many health and nutritional benefits such as high levels of Omega 3.
Nephin is Dunleavy Meats’ premium beef brand representing the finest quality and premium taste. All Nephin cattle are 100% grass fed, are under 36 months and are singled out by trained procurement specialists who select according to demanding specifications that ensure Nephin beef delivers consistently.
“Our hand-selected beef is produced to the highest possible standards to ensure consistency and quality throughout the range,” John says.
Dunleavy Meats employs a Manufacturing Practice approach where product integrity begins on the farm with suppliers and with this partnership, consistently high standards are maintained in what is a controlled, hygienic and safe environment. Furthermore, Dunleavy Meats can provide complete and instantaneous traceability. The system also gives the company the flexibility to control and monitor product specifications in a real-time environment, which underpins its Total Quality Management System.
It is the company’s policy to produce beef products which meet and exceed customer safety and quality requirements. Dunleavy Meats employs a technical team which executes quality control checks to ensure the product meets customer requirements. This demonstrates its compliance with relevant legislation, customer codes of practice and third-party standards. Dunleavy Meats is BRC ‘AA’ certified, which is the highest possible rating for a BRC planning audit and reflects its culture of food safety.
The Ballina processing facility is truly state-of-the-art. The lairage is cutting edge when it comes to observing animal welfare best practice. With curved races, non-slip floors, a constant feed and water supply, and optimum pen spacing and sizes, the highest welfare standards are ensured.
The EU approved slaughtering and deboning hall are installed with the latest technology employed to maximise efficiencies, maintain hygiene levels and deliver consistency.
With 70% of the beef quality being determined post-slaughter, Dunleavy Meats takes practices such as chilling beef very seriously. Great care is taken to ensure that carcasses are well spaced in chills so that there is no touching. The fact that there is large chilled storage space enables the business to chill beef in batches according to pre-selected carcass criteria for its brands. Gradual and consistent chilling is especially important in the hours after slaughter.
The loading bay provides ample space to organise and select products for palletising and carcass dispatch along with dock-levelled loading bays and barcode scanning allows Dunleavy Meats to dispatch in an organised manner at speed.
The company’s focus on sustainability was recently enhanced with the installation of a 500kW solar panel system by Local Power. The solar panels generate 30% of all power on average.
“We’re using renewable energy only. We haven’t used fossil fuels since they were replaced with an industrial version of an air-to-water heat pump,” John explains.
Further enhancement works took place at the plant during the Covid-19 pandemic. The car park was extended, new offices and staff changing facilities were added, while new loading and dispatch facilities were also introduced. The company also invested in new equipment, while all staff were rigorously tested to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Over the years, Dunleavy Meats has invested significantly in its facilities, including new office space, a boardroom, training room, canteen, staff changing facilities and a loading and dispatch area. In addition to the investment in facilities, fostering a positive culture within the business where all staff are treated with dignity and respect has been a key focus for management.
Staff training and developing a system of two-way communication has had a positive impact on staff morale. Other morale-boosting initiatives include complimentary buses to bring staff to-and-from work, social soccer, an EAP and regular staff raffles to name but a few.
The company has gone from strength to strength with John and Brian having big plans for the future which will see it become a key provider of employment opportunities locally.
Dunleavy Meats would like to take this opportunity to thank its customers and suppliers for their continued support as well as its staff for their hard work, dedication and skill.
Dunleavy Meats Ltd
Cooneal,
Ballina,
Co. Mayo.
Telephone: 096 33930
Email: [email protected]
First published in Grocery & Retail Ireland magazine Vol 2 No 1, Summer 2023
