Government ministers have opened a new £1.5 million processing facility forecast to create up to 30 jobs at Willowbrook farm in Northern Ireland.
Democratic Unionist Party leader and first minister Peter Robinson, along with minister for enterprise, trade and investment, Arlene Foster, officially opened the new factory in Newtownards.
The expansion marks an important step in the development of the company, providing extra processing facilities to meet ever-growing demand.
The £15m operation, which produces a range of speciality items including salad bags, stir frys, soup mixes and potato products, already employs 150 staff and had already made significant investments in its existing facilities in Killinchy.
Managing director John McCann said that the development would create jobs, bring prosperity to the area, and potentially generate more business for Willowbrook’s local suppliers.
“Our vision is to be the best we can be, and then aim to get even better; to be recognised as the best producer and supplier of freshly prepared, good quality, innovative food products in the market. It is hugely encouraging for us to see so many local representatives along here today to confirm Willowbrook Farm’s commitment to the economy of this area,” said McCann.
Willowbrook’s latest product offering, a mash potato mix with an assortment of vegetables called Mighty Mash, is being marketed to parents who find it difficult to persuade children to eat their greens.
The farm has been signed up by retail giant Tesco to supply them with 200g packs of its delicious mashed potato products.
Willowbrook is the first supplier in the region to offer Tesco food products packed in 200g containers, reducing the pack size of its convenient mashed products from 400/450g to the new 200g version.
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