Country Crest is one of the largest growers of potatoes and onions in Ireland and owners Michael and Gabriel Hoey are passionate about their company and its produce. In Thomas Murphy they found a like-minded individual to manage their farm.
“Farming a 3,000 acre site is a big responsibility. You go to bed at night thinking about it and wake up in the morning thinking about it.”
Thomas Murphy wouldn’t have it any other way though because, as the Monasterboice native says himself, he landed on his feet when he was appointed farm manager at Country Crest in February 2013.
Celebrating 21 years in business this year, the Lusk, Co Dublin-based operation has evolved into a progressive agri-food business, one that is recognised as one of the biggest suppliers and growers of quality potatoes and onions to Ireland’s key multiples.
In addition to this, Country Crest is now also a Bord Bia quality assured supplier of premium Irish Beef and is noted as a leader in its field in value added food production via its sister company; Ballymaguire Foods. Ballymaguire Foods, located on the Lusk Agri Foods site, is a specialist producer of chilled, prepared foods such as meals, meal accompaniments, soups and sauces.
“It was a brilliant opportunity and when I got the chance I jumped at it. Country Crest has always had a great reputation and are one of the leaders in the agricultural sector in this country,” Thomas added.
The Hoey family boasts a farming heritage in North County Dublin spanning 100 years and, today, their company Country Crest is still producing the freshest produce on the family farm.
The fourth generation of the Hoey family, brothers Michael and Gabriel, established Country Crest in 1993.
Set up to grow and pre-pack fresh potatoes for the retail sector, Country Crest has built strong relationships with the best Irish growers and national retailers who appreciate their passion for authenticity, innovation and the best possible produce.
Working around the clock, Thomas’s responsibility is to ensure that the farm runs efficiently and profitably and he is highly skilled in all aspects of the farm business.
The job is varied and includes planning strategies for maximum yield, organising farm administration, working machinery and managing staff.
“Put short and simple, I get the crops in the grounds, look after them when they are in the ground and get them harvested. It’s about ensuring all that is done and it’s about organising as much as anything else.”
Thomas is responsible for five full-time staff and an extra 10 at the height of the season, weather dependent of course!
“Country Crest started out basically as potato and vegetable growers. That’s the core business and it has built up from there to become an accomplished and leading Agri food business. Michael and Gabriel (Hoey) take great pride in growing potatoes themselves.
“We produce 350-400 acres of potatoes every years and 120-130 acres of onions on top of that.
“We have network of growers covering a lot of the country, from Donegal to Wexford, and no expense is spared. Every potato we put through the factory is washed and has a cosmetic finish. It’s all there to be seen from our own farm and our network of growers.”
Country Crest has come a long way these past 21 years.
In 1995, Minister Noel Davern officially opened a new facility for washing, grading and packing potatoes. The €3.8 million investment represented a state-of-the art development for Country Crest and resulted in a doubling of staff.
Ten years later, the Hoey brothers set about reviving an almost obsolete industry, making a €4 million investment in a state-of-the-art onion grading, packaging and primary storage facility.
This state-of-the-art 3,000 tonne storage and drying facility harvests their Irish onion crop and Country Crest remains as Ireland’s only commercial grower and packer of onions.
In 2008, they recognised the opportunity to add to their existing produce business by establishing a prepared foods divisions, focusing on quality vegetable accompaniments and main meal dishes which leads to the creation of Ballymaguire Foods.
Winter and spring cereals, as well as grasses, are also grown on their agri-food site, thereby creating the most sustainable food sources for their Ballymaguire Foods meal solutions division.
The company’s focus on sustainability was enhanced with the introduction of an 80 metre on-site wind turbine which supplies over 60% of their energy needs in 2009.
The integration of sustainability with their business philosophy, coupled with the implementation of a variety of innovative sustainability initiatives, results in Country Crest winning the 2011 Bord Bia Food & Drink Industry Sustainability Award.
They were then invited to become a pilot company for Bord Bia’s Origin Green Sustainability Development Programme.
In their most recent departure, Country Crest now boasts their own cattle feeding unit on site.
This allows them complete and assured traceability of quality beef, specifically the cuts they use for their prepared foods division. Traceability is an integral part of the company’s ethos and a practice that remains of the highest priority across all divisions: fresh produce, farming and prepared foods manufacturing.
“Basically that came about as a result of the horse meat scandal last year,” Thomas explained. “It had absolutely nothing to do with Country Crest but the perception was out there amongst the general public.
“It’s a new development, the owners had cattle years ago before concentrating on potatoes, and it is a new challenge on a big scale but one that has worked out extremely well so far.”
Although somewhat challenged with the declining consumption of potatoes in Ireland, and rising input costs for growing quality produce, the Hoey’s total business (farming, fresh produce and value added foods) is always moving forward, innovating and creating new opportunities for the future success and longevity of the business and the brand name; Country Crest.
Country Crest
Rathmooney
Lusk,
Co. Dublin.
Tel: +353 1 843 7061
Fax: +353 1 843 9492
E-mail: [email protected]
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 2 No 2, June/July 2014
