Cloughbane Farm Foods signs £450,000 ready meals deal with Tesco NI

The range introduces 11 new meals, including lasagne, beef stroganoff, bangers and mash and steak, onion and mushroom pie.

The new range is part of Cloughbane Farm Foods’ commitment to growing the business with continued investment into the company and represents a 60% increase in its annual business with Tesco Northern Ireland.

Cloughbane Farm Food employs 47 people and was awarded three gold stars in the Great Taste Awards in July 2016.

The Robinson family have been farming the fields of Cloughbane in Co Tyrone for over 150 years, sourcing meat from within a 50-mile radius of the company’s farm based outside Pomeroy.

Husband and wife duo, Lorna and Sam, along with their two sons Richard and Robert, have been supplying Tesco NI since 2012, focusing on producing wholesome, nutritious food for families across Northern Ireland.

After spotting an opportunity in the market, the Co Tyrone business developed the range of convenient ready meals which still maintain the traditional taste of homemade food, to cater for busy families who have less time for food preparation but still desire delicious, quality food with a homemade taste.

Lorna Robinson said: “We know it can often be difficult for families to find the time to cook traditional and healthy meals, yet the desire for homemade meals still remains. We wanted to cater for those busy, working families with our convenient new ready meal range. We use quality, fresh ingredients so the range is bursting with flavour and nutrition.

“Our relationship with Tesco Northern Ireland provides us with a great platform to showcase our produce. It has given us the opportunity to expand our product lines and given us the confidence to invest a further £600k in our business, through expanding our premises and investing in new equipment, and allowing us to employ an additional five staff members so we can cater for more families across Northern Ireland.”

Sandra Weir, fresh food buyer at Tesco Northern Ireland, said: “This new range from Cloughbane Farm Foods is in response to growing food trends and demand for traditional, homemade meals, that are quick and convenient to prepare. Cloughbane took advantage of this gap in the market and the feedback on the new products has been excellent.”