Mash Direct Celebrate Ten Years in Business with Launch of New Range
One of Northern Ireland’s leading family businesses celebrated ten years in business this week. Mash Direct hosted an event at their new factory to mark their tenth anniversary and celebrate diversifying from a small family farm into an award winning household brand.
In attendance were Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster and Finance Minister Simon Hamilton who praised Comber company Mash Direct for it achievements over the last decade and for their continued commitment to innovation with the launch of their new Vegetable Burger range.
Minister Foster said: “Mash Direct is a superb example of how the enterprise has transformed from a small family farm into an award-winning and increasingly successful exporter.
“Martin, Tracy, Lance and Jack have shown outstanding commitment to both their family-run enterprise and the food industry. Their dedication is a source of inspiration to others in the farming, food and business communities.
“Innovation and new product development have been at the forefront of the business. Their innovation, ‘taking the food from field to fork’, has led to Mash Direct being highlighted as an industry leader and to have achieved so much in such a short space of time is outstanding.
“This is a remarkable success story of a company which is now a market leader in vegetable accompaniments with an impressive range of convenience meals and ‘food to go’ dishes which use potatoes and vegetables grown on the family farm. Mash Direct products are currently exported to Europe, the US and the United Arab Emirates.
“Mash Direct’s exceptional achievements in markets outside Northern Ireland and their expertise in new product development and manufacturing, have led to an impressive list of international awards the most recent being in the UK ‘Free From’ Food Awards at the end of March.”
“Endorsements from influential bodies such as the UK Guild of Fine Food, Food Manufacturing Excellence, Deloitte, Quality Food Awards, and The Grocer are testimony to the professionalism of the business and the outstanding quality of all the products,” added Minister Foster.
Ulster/Ireland Rugby, star Rory Best, also a fan of Mash Direct, brought the Six Nations trophy with him to the tenth anniversary event.
Mash Direct now employs over 120 people in one of the most modern and innovative processing facilities in the UK. They source the majority of the fresh potatoes and vegetables from the family farm, in addition to buying from other Northern Irish suppliers. It is the steam-cooking process and the quality and variety of the vegetables that give Mash Direct products their award-winning taste and texture of homemade food. There are now 37 different dishes in the company’s product portfolio.
For more information: visit www.mashdirect.com
Photo Caption: L-R: Jack Hamilton (Director, Mash Direct), Martin Hamilton (Founder and Managing Director, Mash Direct), Rory Best (Ulster/Ireland Rugby Star), Arlene Foster (Minister of Enterprise), Tracy Hamilton (Director, Mash Direct), Simon Hamilton (Minister of Finance) and Lance Hamilton (Sales Director, Mash Direct) celebrate Mash Direct’s 10th year in business. Rory Best brought the six nations trophy along to Mash Direct’s celebratory event.
