Breffni Mushrooms specialise in supplying high quality mushrooms to consumers, retailers and the catering and processing sectors. Company founder Eugene Kiernan spoke to Irish Tractor & Agri magazine about the company’s success to date and plans for the future.
Cavan-based Breffni Mushrooms epitomises the progressive and innovative culture in the mushroom industry where entrepreneurial producers grasp every opportunity to increase efficiencies and maximise profits.
The mushroom industry’s strong export focus and high employment levels add further to the sector’s contribution to the Irish economy and especially the rural economy.
For instance, the Kiernan family-run operation has a an impressive 330 employees currently on its payroll and, as Eugene himself says, “that’s something to be sniffed at in rural Ireland”.
Eugene and his family have been involved in the mushroom business since 1981 and they set up Breffni Mushrooms in 2002.
On the back of years of experience in perfecting the mushroom growing process, over 500,000Ibs of mushrooms are grown on a weekly basis at their four farms which are located in Ballyjamesduff, Lanesborough, Co Roscommon and Sterling (Scotland) while 95% of their produce is exported to the UK.
Breffni Mushrooms produces 50 varieties of mushroom. The company supplies all whites, browns, baby button and flat mushrooms.
In addition, they recently launched a stuffed mushroom range which Eugene and his brothers, Pat, Eugene, Tomás and John, have high hopes for as they look ahead to the future.
“Mushrooms we pick today are on shelves in the UK tomorrow,” Eugene stated, “ and our clients include Lidl, UK; Aldi, UK; Iceland, Tesco, Lidl, Ireland and Dunnes Stores.
“Our new stuffed mushroom range is produced at a new factory in Cavan which we opened last year and that end of the business employs 15. It’s a value added-product, with different recipes and ingredients, and we’re very excited about its prospects.”
At Breffni Mushrooms, they have state of the art facilities to ensure that their mushrooms achieve the very highest quality standards and comply with all retailer specification.
They invest heavily in constantly modernising their systems, facilities and the latest equipment in ‘Cool-Chain’ collection and delivery systems to ensure their mushrooms reach the shelves as quickly and in the best condition possible.
“There were 700 mushroom growers in Ireland in the nineties and now that number is in the seventies.
“Back then we brought in a new system, a Dutch system. At the time, we were the first mushroom farm in Ireland to adopt the Dutch system. Teagasc and others thought we were mad in the head but, thankfully, we have proven them wrong.
“Quality produce is obviously paramount and because mushrooms have a short shelf life, it’s important to get them on the shelves as quickly as possible.
“We’re after coming through the worst recession in the history of the state. The food industry was isolated somewhat in a lot of ways but, from a business perspective, dealing with banks was very difficult.
“We’re a growing business that employs a vast number of people and we’re fit to compete very favourably in the market place from both a quality and freshness perspective.”
Eugene & Co take their environmental responsibilities very seriously and are constantly looking at new ways to reduce the impact their business has on the environment.
Five years ago, Breffni Mushrooms successfully moved away from oil heating to wood chip fuel to run their mushroom growing units.
Energy requirements for mushroom farming can be significant but they reduce the consumption of energy through extensive insulation and close maintenance of their energy requirements.
At Breffni Mushrooms, they do not use any chemicals to sterilise their growing rooms and instead use the power and purity of steam to sterilise and kill bacteria which could reduce production levels.
This natural sterilisation ensures that their mushroom product is of the highest quality and chemical free.
Not content to rest on their laurels, plans are in the pipeline for further expansion at the progressive Breffni Mushrooms.
“The cost cutter retail companies in the UK are growing their market share at the expense of others and we have two choices – stand still or expand. To retain our percentage of their business we have to plan to expand, maybe in Scotland,” Eugene revealed.
At Breffni Mushrooms, they pride themselves on achieving and surpassing the very highest quality standards. Their customers expect quality and they deliver this while complying with rigorous quality assurance, traceability and food safety standards.
Breffni Mushrooms
Kilnaleck
Co Cavan
Tel +353(0)49 4336824
Fax +353(0)49 4336788
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.breffnimushrooms.com
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 4 No 4, April/May 2016
