ALDI Ireland has signed a contract extension with poultry producer Manor Farm for a further year, worth €24 million to the supplier.
Manor Farm has been a partner of ALDI Ireland since 2011.
The products Manor Farm supplies to ALDI are 100% Irish, Bord Bia-assured poultry, ALDI said.
Based in Shercock, Co. Cavan, Manor Farm currently employs over 900 people and sources fresh chicken daily from over 140 farmers, with houses based in counties Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Meath and Limerick.
The retailer said that the renewed contract with ALDI will support Manor Farm to invest in both capacity and automation, enhancing the company’s operational efficiency and supporting further growth of its farming and production base.
As part of the new contract, Manor Farm will continue supplying a diverse range of products to ALDI, including the premium private label, ‘Higher Welfare Free Range Whole Chicken’ product.
Under the new extended contract, Manor Farm will also introduce a number of new products at the retailer’s outlets, including a ‘Specially Selected Festive & Dressed Chicken’ launching in stores this December ahead of Christmas.
Commenting on the new agreement with Manor Farm, Peter Bough, buying director for ALDI Ireland, said: “We are delighted to announce the continuation of our partnership with Manor Farm, who we’ve been proud to work with since 2011.
“This €24 million investment is testament to Manor Farm’s dedication to quality and innovation. Since we opened our first store in Ireland in 1999, ALDI has invested more than €10 billion with Irish suppliers and we currently work with a network of more than 330 Irish producers.
“At ALDI, we are committed to ensuring that our range of high-quality poultry is certified by the Bord Bia quality assurance scheme, meeting the highest standards for welfare… We look forward to continuing to provide our customers with an exceptional range of Irish, sustainably-sourced poultry through this partnership,” Bough added.
Cathal Garvey, chief executive officer for Manor Farm, said: “Manor Farm has been in existence since 1775, producing chickens for several generations with select farmers. All our chicken is 100% Irish and fed with feed from our very own nutrition centre. We are proud to supply ALDI with chickens that are born, bred and reared in Ireland.”
Also commenting, Fiona Twomey, global retails specialist with Bord Bia said: “This enhanced supply partnership between Manor Farm and ALDI is a strong testament to the importance of the Bord Bia Quality Mark and its prominent position with retailers such as ALDI.
“ALDI’s customers can be reassured that Quality Assured Manor Farm chicken comes from local poultry producers who work hard to maintain the highest standards under the Bord Bia Quality Assurance programme,” Twomey added.