It’s 11pm on Tuesday night in Dubai. Paul Murphy, managing director Abbeyfield Foods, is on his way to the airport. Next stop – Tehran, the capital of Iran.

“I’m 29 years working as a global food and beef trader,” Murphy explains. “The job is not for the faint-hearted though – our biggest barriers to growth are politics, culture and cultural tensions rather than supplies.”

Murphy said the Arab Spring, which recently celebrated its third anniversary, has had a major impact on the business.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We lost our Egyptian work as a result of the uprising and it was a very important market for us. Still, it’s about diversifying the offering and looking at other markets,” Murphy said.

Murphy went on to explain that the minimum order for the company is 500t to 1,000t of beef and they trade between 40,000t and 50,000t of beef, poultry, lamb and other food annually across five continents. According to Murphy, very little of the product they currently trade is Irish.

“I’m proud to be flying the Irish flag abroad and I’d love to trade more in Irish food – it’s somewhere I’d love to get back to. We did it for years but at the minute it’s just not viable for us or our customers; it’s too expensive. We source from South America mainly and ship right across the world. We supply from major government contracts to manufacturers, smaller importers and retailers; the full range of clients. However, we never trade with another trader,” Murphy said.

Prior to setting up Abbeyfield Foods in 1994, Murphy worked for Agra Trading before it was purchased by Kepak. He said very little has changed in those 20 years when it comes to deals and transactions.

“It’s all about relationships, knowing who’s on the other side and earning their trust,” Murphy said. “It’s a tough sector but rewarding at the same time. I’m proud that the company reached a turnover in excess of €100m within three years of starting. The only way you can be successful is by having your procedures in place, making sure you get paid and earning the trust of who you’re dealing with,” he said.

Where are the avenues for growth and expansion for Irish food companies in developing markets?

“Dairy and the dairy industry are the obvious areas where you would expect some further growth in the next five, six or 10 years. We have a fully functional trading hub in the Middle East with an office in Dubai. We are ready immediately to help any company looking to supply here.

“In terms of beef, the opening of the Egyptian market would be a bonus and we’re looking at the Philippines, China, Japan and USA too which could be good for us,” he said.