Mediterranean Flavours from Dunmurry for Food Lovers in Top Supermarket Chain
Hummus and other Mediterranean flavours from a Dunmurry gourmet food enterprise have been listed by a top supermarket network in Northern Ireland.
Tom and Ollie, which began life at the iconic in St George’s Market in Belfast, is now supplying its core Mediterranean mezze foods to all 12 Sainsbury’s stores across Northern Ireland. The listing is Tom and Ollie’s first with the local operation of one of the UK’s biggest retailers.
Tom and Ollie was among the first traders to sign up when the historic market was revived by Belfast City Council after a £4.5 million facelift in 1997 and has traded there successfully ever since. The company, in fact, now has the biggest stalls at the market, where it sells its range of Mediterranean foods such as hummus, olives, pesto and an impressive portfolio of cheeses from Northern Ireland and parts of Europe.
It currently produces around 40 different types of hummus, a savoury dish made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice and garlic. “The listing from Sainsbury’s across Northern Ireland is a huge milestone for our small business in our journey to have our range stocked with one of the biggest UK retailers,” Shay Mullan, one of the founders of Tom and Ollie, says. Sainsbury’s is now doing business with Tom and Ollie for 12 core products. These include various hummus, pesto, hot chilli harissa, black olive tapenade and red pepper drops. Most are sourced by Shay and his team from a network of experienced suppliers.
Shay, a graduate in Food Science, Manufacturing and Technology at Loughry College, Cookstown, set up Tom and Ollie in Broughshane, near Ballymena, in 2014 with other knowledgeable food professionals Tracey O’Boyle, Hugh Cushnan and Fergal McGrainne.
Many of the products in its extensive retail range, which also include slow roasted tomatoes, pesto, wild garlic and stuffed olives, continue to be prepared by hand by the team in Belfast. The quirky corporate identity of the business reflects its original focus on roasted tomatoes and olives.
The ambitious company now has around 100 product lines largely made in-house and including a variety of marinated olives and peppers, all made without preservatives and offering an authentic Mediterranean taste. The company also includes a wide range of produce from other local artisan enterprises in its marketing activities across Northern Ireland. In addition to participation in markets here, Tom and Ollie takes part in several food events every week in Dublin and other centres in the Republic of Ireland.
Tom and Ollie sources Mediterranean deli foods such as an extensive range of olives from carefully selected growers and suppliers across Europe, Turkey and North Africa. The business has diversified successfully from a market trader into a developer and successful marketer of innovative retail packs.
A full retail range of Mediterranean foods is also available across the Island in a number of local shops, farm shops and specialist retailers.
In addition to its presence at St George’s, Tom and Ollie generates worthwhile income from its participation at other farmers’ markets here and in the Republic. These include the big Causeway Market in Coleraine every month, where it has long occupied one of the biggest stalls beside the Town Hall.
Over the past decade, the company has grown substantially and profitably by winning sales to major retailers including Aldi, Dunnes Stores, Ireland’s biggest retailer, and Sheridan’s in the Republic. has also won significant business with Henderson Group EUROSPAR, SPAR and Vivoextra stores. As a result, the Dunmurry operation is working close to full capacity and continues to invest heavily in its production machinery, freezing and storage facilities.
The small company, furthermore, has won UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann Irish National Food Awards for its innovative and quality produce.
From the very beginning, customer feedback shaped the brand’s direction. Every recipe was refined through direct market interaction, inspiring the creation of preservative-free, small-batch products that combine authentic Mediterranean flavours with local craftsmanship. By 2018, the company’s reputation for quality attracted Pallas Foods, Ireland’s largest premium food distributor, which approached Tom & Ollie to adapt its popular products for food service packaging. This marked the brand’s transition from a market trader to a full-scale food producer, ready to supply hotels, restaurants, and retailers nationwide.
To meet growing demand while keeping its “fresh and natural” promise, Tom & Ollie invested in advanced food preservation technologies, including HPP (High Pressure Processing) and autoclave systems, allowing it to extend shelf life naturally without artificial additives. These innovations have opened the door to global distribution, enabling the brand to export its clean-label range while maintaining flavour, texture, and freshness.
Tom & Ollie is now focused on streamlining its production processes and expanding into new international markets, including Great Britain, France, Belgium, Sweden, and the US. The company’s vision is to become a leading European producer of clean-label foods, combining science and artisanal taste to meet the growing demand for fresh, preservative-free meals around the world.
