Goodfella's
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Goodfella's is an Irish brand of frozen pizzas. The Government-backed Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) has emerged as the biggest investor in the acquisition of the Green Isle and Donegal Catch food businesses, joining former Largo Foods executives Maurice Hickey and Ray Coyle in acquiring the businesses from 2 Sisters Food Group.
No consideration was disclosed for the deal, but the businesses had been expected to sell for more than €50 million.
The deal, which was first disclosed last October and has now closed, was supported by bank debt from Ulster Bank, and the investors include Mr Hickey, former chief executive of Largo Foods, Mr Coyle, an Irish entrepreneur and former founder of Largo Foods, and a number of other private investors. Largo owned Tayto and other snacks brands but that business has since been renamed Tayto Foods.
The acquisition of the frozen vegetables and frozen fish manufacturers will support more than 100 jobs at the manufacturing plant in Gurteen, Co Sligo and offices in Naas, Co Kildare. The combined businesses will operate under the Green Isle Foods banner and will seek to grow and develop the Green Isle and Donegal Catch brands.
History[]
Green Isle Foods Ltd, headquartered in Naas, Republic of Ireland, created the brand in 1993. In the early 1990s, varieties of frozen food in the UK were fairly limited to fish fingers, beefburgers and frozen chips. Frozen food in the UK was largely provided by Birds Eye. The launch of Goodfella's brought the first ever frozen pizza to the market.
Green Isle Foods Ltd was founded in Ireland in 1982, and employed around 750 people in Ireland. The division has also been known as Green Isle Food Group.[1] In 2005 it expanded its Naas factory, increasing 130 jobs, with help from Enterprise Ireland. The site made 9-inch and 12-inch pizzas.[2]
Green Isle Foods was subsequently bought by Northern Foods in 1995. Northern Foods was founded on 15 August 1949 and also owned the Fox's Biscuits, Holland's Pies and Matthew Walker Christmas Puddings brands.
In 2011 2 Sisters Food Group (a subsidiary of Boparan Holdings, owned by Ranjit Singh Boparan) bought Northern Foods and then in April 2018 Nomad Foods bought the frozen pizza division, including the Goodfella's brand, from 2 Sisters.
Nomad Foods is a UK-headquartered frozen foods company and was formed in 2015. Nomad Foods owns the Iglo, Birds Eye, Findus, La Cocinera, Lutosa, Goodfella's and Aunt Bessie's brands and operates across 13 European countries with the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Sweden and France representing its five largest markets.
Goodfella's pizzas are produced in varieties called Stonebaked, Thin, Deep Pan and Takeaway. Goodfella's launched a range of Gluten Free pizzas in 2015 and added to its dietary offering with the first ever branded frozen vegan pizza in 2018.
Production[]
The business has two manufacturing sites. One in Naas, the county town of County Kildare, which produces Goodfella's Stonebaked and Deep Pan pizzas, and one in Longford, County Longford, which produces Goodfella's Takeaway pizzas.
References[]
- ^ "BEVERLEY HOUSE FOOD GROUP LIMITED". Companies House. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
- ^ Taylor, Sebastian (18 November 1998). "Green Isle to double Naas pizza production". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
External links[]
- Irish companies established in 1993
- Food brands of the United Kingdom
- Food manufacturers of the Republic of Ireland
- Food manufacturers of the United Kingdom
- Frozen pizza brands
- Longford (town)
- Naas
- Northern Foods
- Products introduced in 1993