Mash Direct Scoop Made in Northern Ireland Award
Award-winning local enterprise Mash Direct, who produce healthy and stress-free vegetable side dishes on their farm in Comber, have won the Food and Drink accolade at the annual Made in Northern Ireland Awards ceremony.
These awards recognise and honours companies that have demonstrated success in innovation, product development and growth in either domestic or overseas markets. The event was hosted by Insider Media and have become an integral part of the Northern Ireland Dealmakers Awards.
Philip Cunliffe, Insider’s Regional Business Editor said: ‘Manufacturing is arguably the most important sector in Northern Ireland and its contribution to the economy is undeniable, 2015 was a particularly strong year for NI manufacturing. Mash Direct is a fast growing, innovative company that has excelled over the last 12 months and represent everything that is good in the sector and I salute them for their contribution to the manufacturing and food industry’.
Martin Hamilton, Founder and Managing Director, Mash Direct, comments: ‘We are delighted to win this marvellous award, highlighting the quality of our business and commitment to excellence in the manufacturing of our extensive range of natural and wholesome products.’
‘The recognition for excellence will be of a tremendous benefit as we continue to develop our sales in Great Britain and other neighbouring markets’.
As the UK brand leader of the vegetable accompaniments sector within the food manufacturing industry, Mash Direct aims to bring a family face to a product that people can rely on and trust in. They clearly lead in their sector, producing an innovative range of quality, convenient vegetable and potato dishes ranging from traditional accompaniments to complete ready-meals.
From the initial dream of making traditional Ulster ‘champ’ for convenience in 2004, the Hamilton family have grown Mash Direct into a £15million turnover company, employing 180 members of staff and supplying a range of over 40 high quality, chilled vegetable dishes to retail, food service and the food manufacturing sector.
Mash Direct have set a benchmark for aspiring manufacturers wishing to achieve world class standards in Food excellence, and by winning this Food and Drink award, proved they reach this level of excellence in a very fast moving and competitive environment.
The business has benefitted from a raft of new retail wins in 2015 with Nisa, Waitrose Scotland and the Co-operative – securing agreements currently valued at approximately £1.6m and set to grow further. Prominently, they have recently launched nationwide in Tesco, stocking over 100 stores in England and Wales with five lines, adding to Northern Ireland and Scotland to give the brand nationwide reach.
This follows Mash Direct’s UK expansion into Asda and Ocado in 2014. Their increased listings in the last twelve months have come as the result of a rapidly moving sequence of events starting with consumer trends from around the world and finishing at the Hamilton family dinner table. Mash Direct understand the ever-changing nature of food and consumption and meet the demands. They champion including healthy eating, traceability, provenance and free-from in the ready meal category.
