BRINGING HOME THE BACON SINCE 1860

from Grocery & Retail Ireland Magazine, Winter 2022

EXCITING TIMES AT SUPERVALU SWORDS PAVILIONS

McCarren Meats (McCarren & Company) delivers a full range of pork and bacon from carcasses to full meat products from its site in Cavan. Established in 1860 by John McCarren, it is Ireland’s oldest traditional pig and bacon curing business and the only fully integrated pork processing site in the country that can slaughter, cut, debone, cure, slice and pack (bulk and consumer packs).

In 2013, Kepak bought a majority shareholding in McCarren’s. Having been in the meat industry for five generations, the McCarren family remained as minority shareholders. Since the acquisition, its staff has grown from 200 to 310 and the number of pigs processed daily has doubled from 1,000 to 2,000.

About half of its meat is sourced within 40km of the processing plant which was built in Cavan town for ease of access to the railway system that existed at the time. The original business focused on the sale of live animals to the UK for slaughter in a factory in Leeds. All of the farms which supply McCarren Meats are audited to Bord Bia standards, with full traceability to each farm. The site slaughters 12% of the Republic of Ireland kill.

Approximately 30% of the McCarren Meats output is further processed within the Kepak Group, with the balance going to key customer partners. The site is approved for all the major retailers and is an integral supply partner to foodservice operators in Ireland.

Kepak has invested heavily in the business, including investment to modernise and increase throughput capacities. Since 1966 when it started out as a family-run butcher shop on Dublin’s Francis Street, Kepak has evolved into an international, multi-faceted food innovator which generates employment for more than 3,000 people across 30 different countries. The company also supports over 20,000 farms and farming families through fair trade, knowledge transfer and sustainability initiatives.

With its headquarters in Clonee, Co. Meath, Kepak has a turnover in excess of €1.5 billion and has nine processing facilities dotted throughout Ireland and the UK. The company also has a sales presence in all major EU and international markets as well as an operations office in South America. Kepak’s core business is primary processing of beef, accounting for 16% of the national kill. It also accounts for 20% of the national lamb kill.

In addition, the company has a range of meat protein (beef, lamb, pork and chicken) added-value businesses ranging from raw burgers to cooked convenience snacks. The investment in McCarren’s and other added-value businesses adds further value along the supply chain, delivering partner customers and consumers alike on-trend convenience products which are the fastest-growing category of meat sales.

The welfare of animals in their care is paramount to McCarren Meats. To this end, there are two dedicated animal welfare officers on-site. In addition to domestic sales, McCarren’s key export markets are the UK, Asia and Australasia.

The company contributes in excess of €35 million annually to the local economy with livestock purchases, wages and support services.

“We’re located on a 14-acre site, seven acres of which is under forestry,” McCarren Meats General Manager Peadar Harten explains.

“Since the Kepak acquisition, which was their first venture into the pig meat sector, we have continued to play a key role in sustaining the local economy. We have increased our staff and output, and have grown our customer-base. We have added a lot of retailers and secondary processors to our list of clients. Every aspect of the plant has been overhauled and updated.

“About 50% of our suppliers are from the Cavan and Monaghan area, with the other 50% being from the rest of the country. We have 25 regular pig farmers who supply us with their produce.”

He continues: “There’s a great tradition here and our ambition is to keep growing and expanding the business, with obvious benefits to the extended community. One of the great things about Kepak is how they support the local community through various donations and sponsorships.

“They regularly contribute to local charities, clubs and events, and donate meat to St Vincent De Paul every Christmas too. When people come in looking for sponsorship, they are never turned away and the ethos at Kepak and McCarren’s is to try to spread it around a bit and look out for local people.”

Rising feed prices caused by the war in Ukraine and other input costs have pushed pig production costs to all-time high. This has put many pig farmers under pressure and has led to some exiting the market.

“The price of grain is the big issue facing the sector at the moment. It has sky-rocketed, meaning many farmers are producing at a loss. Energy costs have also gone up significantly. It’s a very turbulent time for everyone involved in food processing,” says Peadar, who grew up on a pig farm in Killydoon, Co. Cavan and worked in Kepak’s beef and lamb processing facility in Watergrasshill, Co. Cork before returning to his native Breffni County in 2015 to take up his current role.

Despite the current global crisis, McCarren Meats continues to go from strength to strength. They would like to take this opportunity to thank their suppliers and customers for their continued support, and their staff for their hard work, dedication and skill.