Ireland

Interview with Country Manager Frank McMyler

Manor Farm is the leading producer of chicken in Ireland and was originally established as a family business, dating back to the mid-1770s. The brand stands for quality and locally produced food, with the operations side also including in-house feed production.

2022 was a year marked by challenges that were difficult to predict. Our Irish operations have managed these challenges well, thanks to the investments in all stakeholder groups – including customers, colleagues and the supply chain in general.

Growth for premium chicken

As the Irish food sector recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic during the year, the retail sector faced challenges as consumers returned to eating out after years of restrictions and periodic lockdowns.

For Manor Farm’s operations, this has meant focusing more on an improved trend for premium chicken products alongside an increasing demand for Foodservice.

“Consumers are looking for premium experiences, despite the economic challenges. Our brands, Manor Farm and Sicín Sásta, have performed well in a market dominated by private labels. These two brands, particularly Sicín Sásta, have been critical and very successful in to driving growth in the market overall for premium chicken products in Ireland,” Frank McMyler explained.

“Chicken, and particularly Irish chicken, continues to be the protein of choice for Irish consumers, who consider factors such as convenience, animal welfare and origin of their chicken particularly when it is favourably priced compared with other proteins in Ireland,” Frank McMyler explained.

Aiming for growth in Europe

Manor Farm is well positioned to implement further improvements in 2023. Its operations will continue to shift from the UK markets impacted by Brexit, towards profitable long-term European customers. Furthermore, these markets are good for chicken parts that are not as popular among consumers in Ireland, where breast meat is still the most popular.