McDonald’s Ireland and Dew Valley have announced that the Tipperary-based bacon producer has been awarded a contract to supply up to nine million pieces of cooked Irish bacon, or 36 tonnes, annually to McDonald’s.
The multimillion-euro deal will see all 84 McDonald’s restaurants in Ireland supplied with 100 per cent Irish bacon, sourced by Dew Valley from Bord Bia Quality Assured Irish farms, with the potential to supply additional McDonald’s markets in Europe in the future. Dew Valley is a privately owned, independent company, headquartered at a state-of-the-art production facility in Thurles, Co Tipperary. The company employs 250 people in Ireland.
McDonald’s uses around nine million pieces of individual bacon in its Irish restaurants annually, across a number of breakfast favourites including Bacon and Egg McMuffin and Bacon Roll as well as a range of premium beef and chicken sandwiches including Quarter Pounder Deluxe, Big Tasty and Chicken Bacon Onion. Breakfast is a growing segment for McDonald’s with all 84 restaurants nationwide now open for breakfast from 7am.
Speaking at the announcement today, Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney TD said: “This deal is a significant vote of confidence in the Irish agri-food sector from McDonald’s, a world-leading global brand, and a further step on the Food Harvest 2020 route. While this contract is to supply McDonald’s Ireland for now, there may be potential to supply McDonald’s Europe, which is further good news. As global consumption of pigmeat products is expected to grow steadily over the period to 2020, the challenge for the Irish industry is to share in that growth – this deal is a great example of an innovative Irish company rising to that challenge. Companies such as Dew Valley are leading the way in terms of quality, commitment to sustainability and efficiency.”
Adrian Crean, managing director of McDonald’s Ireland said: “McDonald’s is sourcing more and more Irish produce from quality Irish suppliers. This latest partnership with Dew Valley is evidence that McDonald’s is committed to supporting the Irish agri-food sector. Dew Valley has demonstrated quality and reliability in the ability to meet McDonald’s high standards and we look forward to working with the company over the years to come.”
Welcoming the announcement Jack Blake, owner and director of Dew Valley said: ‘Dew Valley prides itself on its ability to supply 100 per cent Irish bacon from Bord Bia Quality Assured farms. We are delighted to secure this contract and partner with McDonald’s, a globally recognised brand and we hope that it will open new doors of opportunity for the company in overseas markets.”
McDonald’s has been steadily growing the amount of locally sourced Irish produce that it sells in its restaurants. Last year, McDonald’s announced that it was switching to Ballygowan Natural Mineral Water in its restaurants. The company also sources all of its beef, eggs and dairy produce from Irish suppliers. Prior to today’s announcement, McDonald’s had been supplied with bacon from the UK.
McDonald’s facilitated significant exports of Irish-origin food produce to McDonald’s international operations in 2011, including more than €110m of Irish beef and €66m of Irish cheese. The company’s overall expenditure in the Irish economy on food, restaurants and labour costs amounted to €283.7m in 2011.
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Pictured from left: Jack Blake, owner and director of Dew Valley; Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney TD and Adrian Crean, managing director of McDonald’s Ireland