Dawn Farms signs €850m deal to supply meats to Subway

New seven-year contract will see food company service 4,000 Subway outlets in Europe

Irish food company Dawn Farms has signed a new €850 million deal with Subway to supply cooked meats to more than 4,000 restaurants across Europe.

Headquartered in Naas, Co Kildare and with manufacturing operations in Ireland and the UK, Dawn Farms is one of the leading suppliers of cooked and fermented meat for pizza, sandwiches, ready meals and snacks to international chains and food manufacturers.

The company, which is the current Irish Exporters Association food and drink exporter of the year, has a long-established relationship with the sandwich chain which dates back to the opening of Subway's first European store in 1993.

The new seven-year contract replaces a €700 million deal agreed with Subway in 2010.

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Established in 1984, Dawn currently exports as much as 80 per cent of its output to 40 countries.

Growth plans

"The Subway organisation has ambitious growth plans for new restaurant openings in Ireland, the UK and across Europe, and with this strategic supply agreement these can translate into significant additional export sales for Ireland," said Larry Murrin, chief executive of Dawn Farms.

“This contract demonstrates that Ireland and the Irish agri-food sector is held in high regard internationally and has the potential to expand its global reach, if we can achieve the right mix of competitiveness and market-led innovation,” he added.

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor

Charlie Taylor is a former Irish Times business journalist