Following consultation with his family it was felt that the interview should be carried in this year’s Agribusiness report in memory of Denis. He was described by Stuart Irwin from KPMG, our partners in this report, as “one of a kind and an archetypical entrepreneur, an absolute visionary in the NI agri-food sector whose energy and enthusiasm will be sorely missed”. The Irish Farmers Journal and KPMG extend our condolences to his family and everyone at Finnebrogue – Justin McCarthy
The story of Northern Ireland artisan food company Finnebrogue is one of evolution. In the mid-1980s, founder Denis Lynn originally started off the business importing French fries from the Netherlands.
After the best part of a decade importing French fries, the first evolution of Finnebrogue took place as Lynn decided to try his hand at venison. The move into venison was clearly a major learning curve for the Co Down native.
“I lost a fortune in venison. I thought I was going to lose the business and my home farm. I really underestimated the overheads and costs of the business. One thing I’ve certainly learned from that time was that fixed overheads keep moving,” says Lynn.
Over a six-year period, Lynn says his venison business had racked up £200,000 (€235,000) in losses, which was enormous money for a privately owned business.
One thing I’ve certainly learned from that time was that fixed overheads keep moving
By 2006, he says the business had run out of cash and the support of the banks.
In a bid to turn things around, the second evolution of Finnebrogue took place – one which would be defining for the company.
“We were making venison sausages and burgers. But the market was too small to gain any real scale. So, in 2006, we decided to try making pork sausages as this would allow us to utilise our equipment more,” he says.
“I didn’t know how to make pork sausages when we first started. But not knowing meant I could see things differently. When I look at any product I ask what’s wrong with it and how can it be made the best it possibly can be?” says Lynn.
Finnebrogue enlisted the help of Bernard Mense, a German master sausage-maker, to help develop a new, premium product for the UK and Irish market.
Taking this new approach to making sausages, Finnebrogue produced a new high-end range of sausages which Lynn describes as having more “juiciness and succulence” baked in.
Supply contract
The company won its first supply contract for its sausages in 2006 with UK retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) and the new range performed really well. By 2009, Finnebrogue had secured the entire contract to supply premium sausages to M&S stores throughout the UK and Ireland.
Finnebrogue sausages.
Interestingly, while Finnebrogue quickly established itself as a premium producer of artisan sausages, the company held back from taking the obvious next step – producing a range of rashers.
“I was really unhappy with the nitrates issue in pork. And I didn’t want to start producing bacon rashers until we could get around that,” says Lynn.
After years of research, Lynn eventually came across a Spanish company called Prosur, which had developed a natural flavouring method for bacon using fruits and spice extracts. Collaborating with Prosur, Finnebrogue finally launched its range of nitrate-free bacon in 2018 under a brand called “Naked”.
The company has since extended the brand to its range of sausages and cooked ham. The Naked brand is just over two years old but Lynn estimates that it is valued at more than £30m (€35m) already.
Growth
The rapid growth in the Finnebrogue business can be clearly seen in its topline figures. In 2009, when the business had just won the entire contract to supply M&S with its top-tier range of sausages, Finnebrogue had annual sales of £3.5m (€4.1m).
This year, Lynn says the business will generate sales of £180m (€212m), which reflects a compound annual growth rate of 38% for the past 12 years. Keeping up with this pace of growth was something of a nightmare, admits Lynn.
In the last six years, Finnebrogue has invested £90m (€106m) in capital projects to build extra capacity across its network of processing.
The most recent investment is a £30m (€35m) capital project to build a new facility to produce plant-based alternatives to traditional meat products.
In the last six years, Finnebrogue has invested £90m (€106m) in capital projects to build extra capacity across its network of processing
For Lynn, the plant-based revolution in food will be the third major evolution of Finnebrogue. The company has launched a new range of plant-based alternatives to traditional chicken, pork and beef products under its Naked brand.
Earlier this year, Finnebrogue announced it had won a new contract with UK retailer Asda to supply it with a range of eight new plant-based products, including meat-free kievs, nuggets, goujons, rashers and mince.
“We’re going to produce meat-free alternatives to sausages, rashers, beef and chicken. But for plant-based alternatives to succeed they need to perform like traditional animal-based products, be cheaper and be just as nutritious,” says Lynn.
“Right now, meat and dairy alternatives cost three times the price of traditional products. But every week they are getting cheaper. And they are also getting better and getting more nutritious,” he adds.
Investment
Underlining the potential growth in demand for plant-based foods, Lynn says Finnebrogue’s new purpose-built facility for making plant-based will have the option to double capacity over the coming years as the market grows.
Lynn says he fully intends for Finnebrogue to tackle the likes of Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat head-on over the coming years as the market for plant-based foods expands.
However, while Finnebrogue is clearly targeting plant-based as a market for future growth, Lynn believes traditional meat will still be an important part of human diets.
“I think there will still be a market for meat in the future but it will be really high-quality meat. I am already eating less meat because I believe it is better for me and better for the planet. But when I do eat meat I want it to be really high-quality,” says Lynn.
I think there will still be a market for meat in the future but it will be really high-quality meat
As part of this flight to premium products, Finnebrogue is on the verge of publishing environmental scores on all of its front of pack labelling from this year.
“We’ve got ourselves into a position where we’re going to be able to start publishing enviro scores on all our products later this year. Some of the largest food companies in the world are really engaged with us on this,” says Lynn.
Finnebrogue factory.
“I love eating pork but we need to start thinking about what an eco-pig would look like in terms of its impact on the environment. Or what does an eco-cow look like?
“I think that’s where there will still be a market for really high-quality meat products that have minimal impact on the environment. That might frighten farmers but Ireland is perfectly set up to take advantage of this because of the grass-based farming system,” he adds.
Lynn came to the meat industry as an outsider, which allowed him to see things differently and create the differentiated, high-end products that has set his company apart for the last decade.
His ability to see things differently means he does not see plant-based foods as a threat to his core pork business today.
Finnebrogue originally started off its business importing French fries from the Netherlands.
Instead, he has jumped at the opportunity this new market will present and invested heavily to get the capacity in place to meet the future demand growth he believes will inevitably come for plant-based alternatives.
“I honestly don’t see a slowdown coming. The growth story of this business is only starting,” says Lynn.
Started with importing chips before moving into venison.Lost money, contract for premium sausages with M&S was the big breakthrough.Future meat market will be for high-quality meat alongside plant-based alternatives.
Following consultation with his family it was felt that the interview should be carried in this year’s Agribusiness report in memory of Denis. He was described by Stuart Irwin from KPMG, our partners in this report, as “one of a kind and an archetypical entrepreneur, an absolute visionary in the NI agri-food sector whose energy and enthusiasm will be sorely missed”. The Irish Farmers Journal and KPMG extend our condolences to his family and everyone at Finnebrogue – Justin McCarthy
The story of Northern Ireland artisan food company Finnebrogue is one of evolution. In the mid-1980s, founder Denis Lynn originally started off the business importing French fries from the Netherlands.
After the best part of a decade importing French fries, the first evolution of Finnebrogue took place as Lynn decided to try his hand at venison. The move into venison was clearly a major learning curve for the Co Down native.
“I lost a fortune in venison. I thought I was going to lose the business and my home farm. I really underestimated the overheads and costs of the business. One thing I’ve certainly learned from that time was that fixed overheads keep moving,” says Lynn.
Over a six-year period, Lynn says his venison business had racked up £200,000 (€235,000) in losses, which was enormous money for a privately owned business.
One thing I’ve certainly learned from that time was that fixed overheads keep moving
By 2006, he says the business had run out of cash and the support of the banks.
In a bid to turn things around, the second evolution of Finnebrogue took place – one which would be defining for the company.
“We were making venison sausages and burgers. But the market was too small to gain any real scale. So, in 2006, we decided to try making pork sausages as this would allow us to utilise our equipment more,” he says.
“I didn’t know how to make pork sausages when we first started. But not knowing meant I could see things differently. When I look at any product I ask what’s wrong with it and how can it be made the best it possibly can be?” says Lynn.
Finnebrogue enlisted the help of Bernard Mense, a German master sausage-maker, to help develop a new, premium product for the UK and Irish market.
Taking this new approach to making sausages, Finnebrogue produced a new high-end range of sausages which Lynn describes as having more “juiciness and succulence” baked in.
Supply contract
The company won its first supply contract for its sausages in 2006 with UK retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) and the new range performed really well. By 2009, Finnebrogue had secured the entire contract to supply premium sausages to M&S stores throughout the UK and Ireland.
Finnebrogue sausages.
Interestingly, while Finnebrogue quickly established itself as a premium producer of artisan sausages, the company held back from taking the obvious next step – producing a range of rashers.
“I was really unhappy with the nitrates issue in pork. And I didn’t want to start producing bacon rashers until we could get around that,” says Lynn.
After years of research, Lynn eventually came across a Spanish company called Prosur, which had developed a natural flavouring method for bacon using fruits and spice extracts. Collaborating with Prosur, Finnebrogue finally launched its range of nitrate-free bacon in 2018 under a brand called “Naked”.
The company has since extended the brand to its range of sausages and cooked ham. The Naked brand is just over two years old but Lynn estimates that it is valued at more than £30m (€35m) already.
Growth
The rapid growth in the Finnebrogue business can be clearly seen in its topline figures. In 2009, when the business had just won the entire contract to supply M&S with its top-tier range of sausages, Finnebrogue had annual sales of £3.5m (€4.1m).
This year, Lynn says the business will generate sales of £180m (€212m), which reflects a compound annual growth rate of 38% for the past 12 years. Keeping up with this pace of growth was something of a nightmare, admits Lynn.
In the last six years, Finnebrogue has invested £90m (€106m) in capital projects to build extra capacity across its network of processing.
The most recent investment is a £30m (€35m) capital project to build a new facility to produce plant-based alternatives to traditional meat products.
In the last six years, Finnebrogue has invested £90m (€106m) in capital projects to build extra capacity across its network of processing
For Lynn, the plant-based revolution in food will be the third major evolution of Finnebrogue. The company has launched a new range of plant-based alternatives to traditional chicken, pork and beef products under its Naked brand.
Earlier this year, Finnebrogue announced it had won a new contract with UK retailer Asda to supply it with a range of eight new plant-based products, including meat-free kievs, nuggets, goujons, rashers and mince.
“We’re going to produce meat-free alternatives to sausages, rashers, beef and chicken. But for plant-based alternatives to succeed they need to perform like traditional animal-based products, be cheaper and be just as nutritious,” says Lynn.
“Right now, meat and dairy alternatives cost three times the price of traditional products. But every week they are getting cheaper. And they are also getting better and getting more nutritious,” he adds.
Investment
Underlining the potential growth in demand for plant-based foods, Lynn says Finnebrogue’s new purpose-built facility for making plant-based will have the option to double capacity over the coming years as the market grows.
Lynn says he fully intends for Finnebrogue to tackle the likes of Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat head-on over the coming years as the market for plant-based foods expands.
However, while Finnebrogue is clearly targeting plant-based as a market for future growth, Lynn believes traditional meat will still be an important part of human diets.
“I think there will still be a market for meat in the future but it will be really high-quality meat. I am already eating less meat because I believe it is better for me and better for the planet. But when I do eat meat I want it to be really high-quality,” says Lynn.
I think there will still be a market for meat in the future but it will be really high-quality meat
As part of this flight to premium products, Finnebrogue is on the verge of publishing environmental scores on all of its front of pack labelling from this year.
“We’ve got ourselves into a position where we’re going to be able to start publishing enviro scores on all our products later this year. Some of the largest food companies in the world are really engaged with us on this,” says Lynn.
Finnebrogue factory.
“I love eating pork but we need to start thinking about what an eco-pig would look like in terms of its impact on the environment. Or what does an eco-cow look like?
“I think that’s where there will still be a market for really high-quality meat products that have minimal impact on the environment. That might frighten farmers but Ireland is perfectly set up to take advantage of this because of the grass-based farming system,” he adds.
Lynn came to the meat industry as an outsider, which allowed him to see things differently and create the differentiated, high-end products that has set his company apart for the last decade.
His ability to see things differently means he does not see plant-based foods as a threat to his core pork business today.
Finnebrogue originally started off its business importing French fries from the Netherlands.
Instead, he has jumped at the opportunity this new market will present and invested heavily to get the capacity in place to meet the future demand growth he believes will inevitably come for plant-based alternatives.
“I honestly don’t see a slowdown coming. The growth story of this business is only starting,” says Lynn.
Started with importing chips before moving into venison.Lost money, contract for premium sausages with M&S was the big breakthrough.Future meat market will be for high-quality meat alongside plant-based alternatives. 
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: