Sofina Foods has confirmed the acquisition of Finnebrogue, a family-owned manufacturing business, based in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Established in 1991, Finnebrogue employs around 1,200 people across four state-of-the-art facilities, producing a wide range of food products, including outdoor-bred pork, sausages, rashers, and ham, as well as plant-based alternatives.
Its Naked Range focuses on natural ingredients, with products like Naked Bacon, Ham, and Sausages, which are free from artificial additives and made without nitrites. Its plant-based range includes sausages, burgers, meatballs, and mince, and it also produces a variety of high-quality breaded and battered nuggets, goujons and chunks; and a growing range of ‘veg-rich’ products.
Sofina Foods Europe is a leading supplier of both branded and own-label seafood and pork products, and its pork division is one of the largest processors and suppliers of products across the UK and Ireland. The seafood division is the largest provider of chilled and frozen products across the UK, including the Young’s brand, and is a major player in frozen seafood across Germany and France.
This acquisition means Sofina Foods Europe now employs over 9,000 people across 27 sites. It said Finnebrogue’s sites will continue to provide sustainable, high-quality food products and will complement its existing food distribution network across the UK and in Europe.
Continue journey
Michael Latifi, founder, chairman and CEO of Sofina Foods, said: “This acquisition will allow Sofina Foods to continue our journey of ambitious expansion. We have created a global foundation for continued growth, with a history of excellence in food production and processing spanning over 30 years.
‘Both Sofina Foods and Finnebrogue share a common culture of excellence, discipline and integrity and I look forward to building on the strengths of both companies.”
Ash Amirahmadi, CEO, Sofina Foods Europe, added: “This is an exciting step forward for Sofina Foods Europe. Finnebrogue is a hugely successful, award-winning business with similar values and principles to Sofina Foods Europe. I look forward to welcoming everyone at Finnebrogue to the Sofina Foods family and drawing upon the significant expertise that exists across both businesses.”
Finnebrogue has won multiple awards, including UK Food Manufacturer of the Year in 2023 and Employer of the Year at the Grocer Gold Awards in 2024.
Roger Burnley CBE, Chair of Finnebrogue, said: “I’m delighted that Finnebrogue is joining Sofina Foods Europe, and I know that this great business will continue to flourish as part of the Sofina family, whose purpose-driven values align closely with our own, unlocking new opportunities for our people, our products and our customers.”
Christine Lynn, Co-founder Finnebrogue said: “My late husband Denis and I started Finnebrogue Venison in December 1991. With Denis’s vision and innovation, the business grew into one of the leading food companies in Northern Ireland, making food the best it could be, without being bound by the way it had always been done, and creating over 1,200 jobs along the way.
“In May 2021, my husband tragically died; from then on I have had the support and backing of the leadership team which Denis created, and I am so proud that Finnebrogue has continued to prosper and grow.
“But the time has now come for me to hand over the baton, and to do so to Sofina who I know will uphold Denis’s legacy and take Finnebrogue on to its next chapter.”