It’s 30 years since brothers Michael and Garbriel Hoey established the Country Crest brand, providing fresh potatoes to the retail sector. Since then, the family-run business in Lusk, Co. Dublin has become one of the largest suppliers of potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and fresh prepared meals in Ireland, and is also a supplier of premium Bord Bia Quality Assured beef.
In 2008, the brothers set up their prepared meals division which led to the creation of Ballymaguire Foods. It’s a measure of how far the sister companies have come that they recently announced a €25 million expansion of their production facilities in Lusk that will result in the creation of over 200 jobs over the next five years.
The investment will increase food production capabilities as Country Crest seeks to build capacity and support customer growth. Construction has commenced on the first phase of work and is expected to be completed and operational within a matter of months. The expansion will also include the establishment of a new R&D kitchen.
Country Crest managing director Michael Hoey said: “This is an exciting time for our convenience food business here in North Co. Dublin. This is a vote of confidence in the Irish food industry, an industry that continues to thrive, despite the tough economic conditions we are all experiencing at present.”
Farm-to-fork producer Country Crest said that over 60% of its ingredients, including all its vegetables and proteins (chicken, beef and ham), are sourced in the North Dublin area. Making the announcement, Ballymaguire Foods managing director and co-owner Ed Spelman commented: “We are delighted to be making this investment in our business as we continue to grow and expand our reach from our Lusk base.
“Our production capability will be greatly increased and will be mainly used to fuel the opportunities we see in both this country and mainland Europe. Our customers appreciate our agility and ability to adapt to new trends and tastes whilst using the best Irish ingredients where possible.
“Our Irish suppliers will also benefit in the future as many of our ingredients are sourced on the island of Ireland from chicken to beef and fresh vegetables.”
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien said: “This announcement is a brilliant example of pure quality and excellence in a sector where Ireland excels and especially around sustainability and producing quality clean food.
“For generations, the Hoey family has employed hundreds of people from the locality and have never been found wanting in giving back to the local community. Their success stemming from the land is to be applauded and I wish them continued success for years to come.”
Country Crest’s business of farming, producing and distributing fresh, great-tasting healthy food is driven by a passion for innovation and sustainability. From the roots of the century-old family business comes a promise to respect and protect the purity of the land. Michael and Gabriel Hoey’s vision is to become an even more successful and diverse agri-food business whilst remaining true to nature and the environment. They know how important it is to respect and nurture the purity and power of the land because this will influence our lives now and for generations to come.
Set up to grow and pre-pack fresh potatoes for the retail sector, Country Crest has built strong relationships with the best Irish growers and national retailers who appreciate their passion for authenticity, innovation and the best possible produce.
In 1995, Minister Noel Davern officially opened a new facility for washing, grading and packing potatoes. The €3.8 million investment represented a state-of-the art development for Country Crest and resulted in a doubling of staff.
Ten years later, the Hoey brothers set about reviving an almost obsolete industry, making a €4 million investment in a state-of-the-art onion grading, packaging and primary storage facility. This state-of-the-art 3,000 tonne storage and drying facility harvests their Irish onion crop.
In 2008, they recognised the opportunity to add to their existing produce business by establishing a prepared foods division, focusing on quality vegetable accompaniments and main meal dishes, from which Ballymaguire Foods was born. Winter and spring cereals, as well as grasses, are also grown on their agri-food site, thereby creating the most sustainable food sources for their Ballymaguire Foods meal solutions division.
The company’s focus on sustainability was enhanced with the introduction of an 80-metre on-site wind turbine which supplies over 60% of their energy needs in 2009.
The integration of sustainability with their business philosophy, coupled with the implementation of a variety of innovative sustainability initiatives, resulted in Country Crest winning the 2011 Bord Bia Food & Drink Industry Sustainability Award. The company was then invited to become a pilot company for Bord Bia’s Origin Green Sustainability Development Programme.
Country Crest also boasts its own cattle feeding unit on-site. This allows the team to complete and assure traceability of quality beef, specifically the cuts they use for their prepared foods division. Traceability is an integral part of the company’s ethos and a practice that remains of the highest priority across all divisions: fresh produce, farming and prepared foods manufacturing.
In addition, Country Crest operates its own Farm Shop from Donabate, Co. Dublin. The Farm Shop was a natural evolution of the Hoey family’s farming tradition and ambition to ensure that their local communities have the best fresh food readily available. It has become a ‘foodie destination’ where customers can choose from some amazing ingredients – craft meats from the butcher’s counter, local in-season fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh breads and cakes, Irish artisan foods and even prepared meals and soups from the Ballymaguire Foods range.
The Farm Shop is a great way for Country Crest to keep in touch with its local communities and to understand what consumers are looking for. But more than that, it’s a fantastic platform for the company to champion its amazing food products made by small Irish businesses, both locally and around the country.
Here’s to the next 30 years of this family success story!
Country Crest
Rathmooney,
Lusk,
Co. Dublin,
K45 NPO3.
Telephone: +353 1 843 7061
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.countrycrest.ie
First published in Grocery & Retail Ireland magazine Vol 2 No 1, Summer 2023
