With roots dating all the way back to 1968, Willowbrook Foods is a leading producer and processor of fresh food operating out of the McCann family film in County Down, Northern Ireland. The company supplies a range of prepared vegetables, salads, and meal accompaniments to the food service and retail sectors of both the UK and Ireland, with its esteemed client base consisting of top brands such as Lidl, Aldi, Subway, KFC, and Domino’s. Recognised for the third consecutive year in this programme, we take a deep dive into Willowbrook Foods below. Best Fresh Food Production & Processing Company 2025 – Northern Ireland Willowbrook Foods was established more than 55 years ago by John McCann, when he started farming vegetables on the land owned by his father and selling his produce in local markets. A decade later, the company – which by this time was producing prepared and packaged vegetable and soup mixes – secured its first major contract, with former supermarket chain Wellworths. This set the wheels in motion for decades of expansion and growth, positioning Willowbrook Foods as the industry leader it is today. Innovation has been a common theme throughout the company’s journey, seen first through John pioneering a unique market strategy by using his own home-grown farm vegetables in the packing for supermarkets, something which simply didn’t happen before he started it in the 1970s. It was this initiative that would ultimately redefine the parameters of convenience and added value for consumers on the lookout for the best vegetable products – a line Willowbrook Foods has continued to tread now across seven different decades. Opened the same year the business was founded, Willowbrook Foods’ main site in Killinchy has been integral to its operation from the off, and its 15 production lines are responsible for serving Great Britain and Ireland with such fan-favourite products as stir-fry vegetables and deli salads. These headquarters also house the company’s New Product Development division, which is guided by technological advancements and customer trends. As demand for its products has grown, so too have the brand’s facilities, with its Killinchy factory being supported first by a facility for mashed products, such as potatoes and vegetables, in 2004, and then by a state-of-the-art factory in Newtownards five years later. Then, in 2011, The Willowbrook Food Innovation Centre was opened, its purpose to deliver food excellence to new and existing customers through tailored solutions. The continuous expansion of both its facilities and its equipment has resulted in Willowbrook Foods becoming the largest processor of bagged salad in Ireland and N. Ireland, a feat achieved as a result of its relentless customer focus and pursuit of sustainable growth opportunities. However, this is not the only distinction the company boasts across this region, as it is also the only brand in both countries to achieve ‘Grade A’ BRC accreditation for 15 years and be approved by the Soil Association for organic salads. Presently, Willowbrook Foods offers more than 300 products, with its more than 230 employees being spread across its two main factories in N. Ireland. From these locations, the team have continued to build out the brand, expanding into areas such as food to go and even cooked products. This has only seen the lifelong partnerships the company has with its customers deepen, paving the way for its continuous development. Alongside partnering with some of the biggest retailers and iconic high-street brands to deliver fresh food and ingredients, a big part of the growth nurtured by Willowbrook Foods includes deepening its manufacturing presence. The company does this by supporting the industrial and ready-meal market sectors of Great Britian and Ireland through its quality, assured, and consistent approach, allowing its customers operating within these fields to evolve their offerings and product ranges with the utmost confidence. Having prioritised investments in all of its locations over the past three years – including spending £1.4M on two cuttingedge wash lines for Italian lettuce, £1M on a dissolved air flotation (DAF) plant, and £300k on a plant-based factory – delivering unrivalled quality in the realm of food production and processing remains the primary aim for Willowbrook Foods. It is the brand’s combination of historical prestige and cutting-edge innovation that continues to set it apart, leading to its back-to-back wins in this programme. Contact: Fiona McMullan Company: Willowbrook Foods Web Address: https://willowbrookfoods.co.uk/ Apr25207
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