A multi-million euro deal has been announced by Musgrave with Lusk-based ready meal producer Ballymaguire Foods, valued at €170m, on Tuesday 6 June.

Ballymaguire Foods is a sister company to Country Crest, founded by Michael and Gabriel Hoey.

Musgrave wants to continue to grow its range with Ballymaguire Foods in the form of new own-brand healthy meals.

The new contract will continue to supply homegrown, Irish-made prepared meals and side dishes to Musgrave retail brands SuperValu, Centra and Daybreak.

Pre-prepared meals

The multi-million-euro contract comes as shoppers increasingly seek out healthy pre-prepared meal options.

The extensive range of food offers shoppers lunch and dinner solutions in the form of prepared meals, as well as soups and sauces.

Managing director of SuperValu and Centra Ian Allen said: “In recent times, we have seen an increase in demand for healthy meals and we are very happy to continue to work with Ballymaguire Foods, who continue to innovate and evolve to meet shoppers' needs.”

Ballymaguire Foods has replaced 35t of unrecyclable black plastic with alternative sustainable packaging, which comes as part of Musgrave’s sustainability strategy.

Musgrave has committed that 100% of its own-brand packaging will be compostable, reusable or recyclable by 2025.

Ballymaguire Foods operates on 100% renewable energy, with a wind turbine generating nearly half of its power and the rest coming from other renewable sources.