Doolittles is a food production company founded in Donegal in 2003. Originally a coffee shop that opened in 2001, the food production business evolved from a sideline of making pre-packed sandwiches for local shops.

Growth accelerated and necessitated a designated food production house. The company is the third-largest pre-packed sandwich producer in Ireland, producing more than 8,000 sandwiches per day. The company employs 32 and prides itself on sourcing most ingredients from Irish companies. Founder Jenni Timony believes its success lies in supplying a simple but excellent product.

Products:

The product range includes sandwiches, wraps, rolls, salads and paninis, all freshly handmade with each day's batch reaching the shelves that day. All sandwiches are made from fresh, local bread.

Customers:

Customers include shops, hospitals, universities, contract caterers and forecourts. The company supplies mainly under the Doolittles brand, but also does a private label with distribution to more than 200 outlets across Donegal, Dublin, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Navan, Cavan and Meath. These include the Bon Expresso group, Masterchefs and Fresh stores.

Doolittles recently supplied events such as the Irish Open in Adare Manor, the Punchestown Festival and Bloom.

Q: Describe your progression from start to current status.

A:The start-up phase was difficult. It was hard to win new customers when no one had heard of Doolittles and were reluctant to stock a product that could disappear quickly.

Q: Are there any interesting or unusual circumstances surrounding the inception of the company?

A: People ask why we are called Doolittles. I wanted a name that would be remembered . . . Doolittles is convenient food. We do all the work; you just enjoy the sandwich and . . . Doolittle.