McDonald’s Ireland has teamed up with one of Ireland’s favourite porridges, Flahavan’s, as the iconic Irish brand becomes the exclusive porridge oats supplier to McDonald’s 84 restaurants across Ireland. 

Flahavan’s, which has been milling oats at the family mill in Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford for more than 200 years, is Ireland’s most popular porridge brand. Flahavan’s sources its oats locally from Irish growers and has recently completed their oats harvest.

McDonald’s currently sells approximately 100,000 portions of porridge annually in its Irish restaurants and plans to grow this, targeting sales of €250k per annum or 1.25 million portions in total, over the next five years.

The Flahavan’s Breakfast Survey, carried out by Empathy Research, found that 85 per cent of females consider porridge and oats to be the healthiest breakfast option. Porridge oats are naturally low in salt and sugar and containing soluble fibre that can help lower cholesterol. Breakfast is a growing segment for McDonald’s with all 84 restaurants nationwide now open for breakfast from 7am.

Adrian Crean, managing director of McDonald’s Ireland, said: “McDonald’s is committed to supporting the Irish agri-food sector and is sourcing more and more produce from quality Irish producers such as Flahavan’s. We’re also committed to offering our customers more variety and choice when they visit our restaurants and we will be investing significantly in promoting and growing our breakfast offering as part of this. We’re delighted to be teaming up with Flahavan’s and to be supporting an iconic Irish food company and Irish jobs.”

Welcoming the announcement John Flahavan said: ‘Flahavan’s is very pleased to be working with McDonald’s to bring our popular porridge oats into their Irish restaurants. Porridge oats are a great way to start the day and this deal means that McDonald’s customers can access our product in a convenient, quick way. We look forward to working with McDonald’s in the years ahead.”

McDonald’s Ireland is committed to buying quality locally sourced ingredients as part of its overall strategy to support the Irish agri-food industry and Irish jobs, it said.

Flahavan’s is the latest addition to McDonald’s Irish offering in its restaurants. Last month, McDonald’s announced that it had awarded a new contract to Tipperary based bacon producer Dew Valley, to supply cooked bacon from Bord Bia Quality Assured Irish farms, to all its Irish restaurants. McDonald’s currently provides 100 per cent Irish beef, bacon, milk, cheese, eggs and water in all 84 restaurants nationwide.