UK meat processor Linden Foods has secured a deal to supply bacon to Ahold’s Albert Heijn stores in the Netherlands.
Linden’s Kettyle Irish Foods subsidiary is to sell “sustainably-produced” bacon to Albert Heijn, founder Maurice Kettyle said.
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“We’ve been operating in this influential European market for many years and this has enabled us to keep abreast of trends there,” Mr Kettyle said. “Our parent company, Linden Foods has been supplying beef to Albert Heijn for many years and is also conscious of the move towards greater evidence of sustainability that includes good standards of animal welfare.
“We were asked by the retailer if we could supply them with sustainably produced bacon from outdoor bred pigs, which we have been able to do. We decided to offer them a unique Fermanagh bacon from outdoor pigs that also features a distinctively different curing process using seaweed that’s readily available around our shores.”
Mr Kettyle added the GBP1.2m contract would allow the company to look at other opportunities in Europe.
“It’s an extremely exciting development that gives us an important platform for further growth with the chain in The Netherlands and will encourage us to explore opportunities in other European markets.”
