Finnebrogue Artisan wins £2m contract to supply sausages

Finnebrogue Artisan wins £2m contract to supply sausages

17 May 2017

AWARD winning Downpatrick firm Finnebrogue Artisan has secured a new UK-wide contract to supply a range of sausages to over 350 Asda stores.

The £2m deal was announced at last week’s Balmoral Show, extending Finnebrogue’s existing national partnership with Asda agreed in 2014 when it started supplying the entire Extra Special sausage range to the supermarket’s UK stores.

The addition of light and lean sausages to the 16-strong Extra Special range coincides with the start of the summer season when sausages sales traditionally spike. 

With almost seven million packs of Asda’s own-label premium sausages expected to sell over the summer months alone, light and lean provides a healthier, gluten-free alternative to the popular barbecue staple. Made from top quality pork sourced from high-welfare farms across Northern Ireland, the new range sausages are low in fat, high in protein and contain only 71 calories.

Sarah Savage, Finnebrogue’s new product development manager for Asda, said the Downpatrick business is proud to be one of Northern Ireland’s leading artisan food producers.

“The company has built its relationship with Asda thanks to our innovative approach, dedication to new product development and consistent quality,” she explained. “Our Extra Special sausages have been a real success story and the addition of the light and lean range offers customers across the UK even more choice from a range they know they can rely on for quality and taste.”

Securing the new contract with Asda comes after it was confirmed Finnebrogue Artisan has gone green after investing £530,000 installing a 686 kilowatt photovoltaic solar system at its state-of-the-art processing facility at the Down Business Park.

The investment will produce 550,000 kilowatts of electricity — enough to power 114 homes for a year, with the major green energy investment project by the local firm been assisted by Guinness Asset Management, with installation in association with Solar Energy Company – POB Solar based in Lurgan. 

The initiative is believed to be the third largest of its kind in Northern Ireland and in addition to producing savings of £50,000 a year, the major investment is expected reduce the Downpatrick firm’s carbon emissions by over 335 tonnes per annum.

Finnebrogue Artisan chairman, Denis Lynn, said the business is delighted to be leading this renewable initiative which will see the company produce clean renewable sustainable energy on site for use during the production of its premium meat products for UK and Irish consumers.

He added: “At Finnebrogue, we are passionate about producing incredible food for people to enjoy in a sustainable and ethical environment which this initiative underpins our commitment to.”