Gilfresh Produce

What Gilfresh Produce does

Gilfresh Produce is a third-generation, family-owned fresh produce business headquartered in Loughgall, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland, that grows, sources, processes and packs both wholehead and prepared vegetable products for retail and food manufacturing customers across the island of Ireland. Its portfolio spans 18 wholehead varieties (carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, multiple cabbages, cauliflower, leeks, parsnips, swede, pumpkins, lettuce and others) grown across more than 1,000 acres at its wholly-owned Gilpin Farms (Armagh) and Gilfresh Farms (Dundalk, established 2023), supplemented by a coordinated network of approximately eight local growers. A dedicated high-care facility produces a value-added prepared range — carrot batons, broccoli florets, sliced and diced products, shredded cabbage, soup vegetables and a vegetable fajita kit — for retail and foodservice, and the company holds exclusive island-of-Ireland distribution rights for Growers Garden Broccoli Chips.

Operations are anchored by two pack houses, cold storage infrastructure, a 2017-vintage anaerobic digestion plant and a wind turbine, plus camera grading lines installed in 2023 on carrot and sprout operations, and the company's own fleet of refrigerated lorries brought in-house in 2022 enables direct B2B delivery to retail distribution centres. It holds BRC Global Food Standard, Red Tractor, LEAF and Global Gap accreditations and is a member of the M&S Select Farm / Farming with Nature programme.

Gilfresh operates a B2B enterprise field-sales model, supplying seven named major retail multiples — Asda, Tesco, M&S, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland, Sainsbury's — plus Henderson Group (Eurospar) and food manufacturers such as Avondale Foods and Dole, under negotiated wholesale contracts with undisclosed pricing. Key commercial proof points include supplying 21 lines and over 1,000 tonnes of root crops annually to Asda across 16 Northern Ireland stores, full M&S coverage across 22 Northern Ireland and 16 Republic of Ireland stores, and recognised awards such as Tesco Ireland Produce Supplier of the Year (2023), Lidl Social Impact Award (2025) and Institute of Leadership Organisational Agility Award (2024). The business has no external investors, is entirely family-owned by the Gilpin family, and operates from a team of approximately 140–200 staff.

Name

Gilfresh Produce

Legal name

Gilfresh Produce Limited

Website

https://gilfreshproduce.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gilfresh Produce is a third-generation, family-owned Northern Ireland grower and packer supplying wholehead and prepared fresh vegetables to major UK and Irish retail multiples including Asda, Tesco, M&S and Lidl, plus food manufacturers, across over 1,000 acres of its own and partner farms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Produce

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Leafy Greens Farming (Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Arugula, Chard) (AFAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Other Specialty & Industrial Crop Farming (Emerging/Regional Specialty Crops) (AFAGAGAO)

Keywords

• Fresh vegetable supply
• Wholehead vegetables
• Prepared vegetables
• Vegetable processing and packing
• Fresh produce farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Loughgall

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fresh Vegetable Sales: Growing, sourcing, processing and packing of wholehead and prepared vegetable products sold to retail and food manufacturing customers. Primary revenue from direct product sales to major supermarket chains and foodservice providers across the island of Ireland.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gilfresh Produce grows, sources, processes, and packs wholehead and prepared vegetable products for retail and food manufacturing customers across the island of Ireland. Operations are anchored by two farms (Gilpin Farms in Armagh and Gilfresh Farms in Dundalk) covering 1,000+ acres, supported by a network of local growers and two pack houses with peeling, high-care, cold storage, and renewable energy facilities. The portfolio spans 18 wholehead vegetable varieties and a value-added prepared vegetable range, supplied directly to major supermarket chains via an owned refrigerated lorry fleet.

Product overview

Gilfresh Produce is a third-generation family-run fresh produce company offering a unified portfolio of wholehead vegetables and prepared vegetable products. The core offering consists of 18 wholehead vegetable varieties (carrots, broccoli, brussel sprouts, various cabbages, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, kale, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, scallions, swede, pumpkins, and rhubarb) grown on their own farms (Gilpin Farms in Armagh and Gilfresh Farms in Dundalk) and through network growers. Complementing this is the Gilfresh Prepared Vegetable Range - a value-added line of washed, peeled, sliced, diced, and batoned vegetables produced in their dedicated high-care facility, including products like Carrot Batons, Broccoli Florets, Sliced Carrots, Broccoli Cauliflower & Carrot mix, Diced Carrot & Turnip, Broccoli & Cauliflower Florets, Shredded Cabbage, Sliced Leeks, and Soup Vegetables. The company also distributes the Growers Garden Broccoli Chips. All products are distributed to major retailers across the island of Ireland including Tesco, Asda, Lidl, M&S, Aldi, Iceland, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carrots Fresh carrots grown on Gilfresh and partner farms and supplied to retail and food manufacturing customers; in season July to April, with January sowing and November straw-covering for frost protection.
• Broccoli Wholehead broccoli planted in April (80-90 days to mature), hand-harvested for freshness, flavour and colour; in season July to October.
• Brussel Sprouts Seasonal Brussels sprouts grown on Gilpin Farms with multiple varieties for an extended season, machine-harvested; in season October to March.
• Sweetheart Cabbage Versatile pointed cabbage planted in April and hand-harvested; in season June to November.
• Cauliflower Cauliflower meeting high retail and food manufacturing standards, sourced via a network of expert growers for year-round supply; in season July to November.
• Celeriac Celeriac (celery root) supplied via trusted partner growers, planted late May/June with a long growing season; in season October to February.
• Curly Kale Locally grown, hand-harvested curly kale rich in vitamins A, C and K, planted in spring; in season June to March.
• Celery Fresh quality celery from dedicated partner growers, planted late May/early June (130-140 days to mature), all hand-harvested; in season September to mid-December.
• Leeks Leeks grown with expert practices on the Gilfresh farm, first planted in April under fleece, machine-harvested and stored upright in wooden boxes; in season August to March.
• Lettuce Iceberg, Round and Little Gem lettuce supplied via expert grower partners; Round lettuce grown under glass year-round, Iceberg and Little Gem in season May to September.
• Parsnips Top-quality parsnips grown by a dedicated network of expert growers using sustainable farming practices; in season August to June.
• Scallions Spring/salad onions grown locally with trusted growers for year-round availability, all hand-harvested; in season May to October.
• Swede Traditional root vegetable grown since the early days of Gilfresh, sown in May and extensively cold stored for 12-month supply; in season August to March.
• Pumpkins Locally grown pumpkins since 2019 (now one of the biggest pumpkin growers across the island of Ireland), planted in May and hand-harvested; in season September to October.
• White Cabbage Top-quality white cabbage grown locally and hand-harvested; in season July to April.
• Red Cabbage Red cabbage grown locally on the Gilfresh farm ensuring quality and sustainable production; in season July to April.
• Savoy Cabbage Savoy cabbage grown locally via a network of valued growers with multiple varieties for continuity, hand-harvested; in season July to March.
• Rhubarb In-season rhubarb supplied through an expert local grower for summer months, used in crumbles, pies, jams and compotes; in season May to August.
• Gilfresh Carrot Batons Family-grown, washed carrot batons ready to steam, boil or microwave in nine minutes or less; 500g pack size, with each 80g serving providing one of five-a-day.
• Gilfresh Broccoli Florets Washed, ready-to-cook broccoli florets rich in vitamins and nutrients, 250g pack size, with each 80g portion counting as one of five-a-day.
• Gilfresh Sliced Carrots Washed, ready-to-cook sliced carrots that cook in eight minutes or less; 300g pack size, with each 80g serving counting as one of five-a-day.
• Gilfresh Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrot Mix Ready-to-cook mix of freshly cut carrot, cauliflower and broccoli, washed and ready in 10 minutes or less; 250g pack size with each 80g serving providing one of five-a-day.
• Gilfresh Diced Carrot & Turnip Washed, ready-to-cook diced carrot and turnip for steaming or boiling in 17 minutes or less; 500g pack size with each 80g serving providing one of five-a-day.
• Gilfresh Broccoli & Cauliflower Florets Freshly cut broccoli and cauliflower florets, washed and ready to cook in 10 minutes or less; each 80g serving counts as one of five-a-day.
• Gilfresh Shredded Cabbage Washed, ready-to-cook shredded green cabbage, perfect for boiling in eight minutes or less; 250g pack size with each 80g serving providing one of five-a-day.
• Gilfresh Sliced Leeks Family-grown, washed sliced leeks ready to cook in 10 minutes or less via steaming or pan frying; 175g pack size with each 80g serving providing one of five-a-day.
• Gilfresh Soup Vegetables Family-grown, washed and ready-to-cook soup vegetable mix, perfect for preparing soups in 20 minutes or less; 320g pack size with each 80g serving providing one of five-a-day.
• Growers Garden Broccoli Chips Vegetable snack chips made from wonky broccoli in Sour Cream & Chive, Chilli and Cheese flavours, distributed exclusively by Gilfresh Produce across the island of Ireland and designed to reduce food waste.
• Gilfresh Prepared Vegetable Range (B2B) Value-added prepared vegetables (washed, peeled, floreted, sliced, diced, batoned) for food manufacturers and foodservice suppliers, produced in the dedicated high-care facility.
• Gilpin Farms (growing operation) Wholly-owned farming subsidiary growing hundreds of acres of carrots, leeks, pumpkins, curly kale, Brussels sprouts and other vegetables annually across Armagh, Northern Ireland.
• Gilfresh Farms (growing operation) Wholly-owned farming subsidiary established in 2023 in Dundalk, expanding Gilfresh's growing capacity into the Republic of Ireland; currently grows four crops with plans to expand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supplies over 1,000 tonnes of root crops and 500,000 heads of brassica and salad crops to Asda annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Growers GardenminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Gilfresh Produce teamed up with Growers Garden to have a joint stand at the Balmoral Show to promote Growers Garden Broccoli and Cauliflower Chips. Gilfresh is the exclusive distributor for Growers Garden Broccoli Chips across the island of Ireland.
• Avondale FoodsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Gilfresh supplies carrots, white and red onions and broccoli to Avondale Foods. These ingredients are used in the production of M&S-branded wet salads, further strengthening the local supply chain and supporting jobs across the region.
• AgriSoundcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024M&S has expanded its partnership with agri-tech start-up AgriSound to additional sites across the UK, with Gilpin Farms selected to participate. The partnership involves in-field sensor trials using AgriSound Polly technology that allows farmers to track pollinators visiting their farm in real-time and target specific interventions for improving pollinator numbers and crop yields.
• LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021LEAF is a leading organisation promoting sustainable farming practices. Gilfresh is a proud member committed to responsible farming that supports the environment. Through LEAF membership, farms focus on enhancing biodiversity and are audited to highest standards.
• Marks & Spencer (M&S) - Farming with Nature ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021M&S's Farming with Nature programme supports retailers' Select Farmers to become more resilient to environmental challenges spanning climate change and biodiversity loss. Gilpin Farms is an M&S Select Farm participating in this initiative, which forms part of M&S's wider commitment to sustainable sourcing.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Huntapac Produce: UK-based fresh produce grower and packer supplying root vegetables, brassicas, and salads to major UK retailers. Directly comparable to Gilfresh in scale, customer base, and field-to-packhouse model.
• Puffin Produce: Welsh fresh produce grower and packer supplying potatoes, daffodils, and vegetables to UK retailers. Closely comparable vertically integrated model supplying supermarket multiples.
• Mash Direct: County Down, Northern Ireland-based grower of vegetables and prepared/mashed vegetable products sold to UK and Irish retailers. Highly comparable on geography, family ownership, and value-added prepared range.
• Florette (UK & Ireland): Major UK/Irish prepared salad and vegetable brand. Overlaps with Gilfresh on prepared/branded retail vegetables and supermarket supply relationships.
• Burgess Farm Produce: UK grower and packer of brassicas (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage) supplying major retailers. Directly comparable crop mix, customer base, and packhouse model.

Broad incumbents

• Bakkavor Group: Large UK-listed prepared fresh food manufacturer with significant salad and vegetable operations supplying major multiples. Operates at far greater scale than Gilfresh across overlapping prepared-vegetable categories.
• Cranswick: UK food producer with a significant fresh produce and primary processing division. Competes with Gilfresh for retailer supply of fresh and prepared vegetables, though at much larger scale.
• Fresca Group: UK fresh produce supplier owning multiple growers and packers, serving major UK retailers. Comparable vertically integrated business model and supermarket customer base.
• Greenyard: Belgian-listed global fresh, frozen, and prepared fruit and vegetable supplier. A broad incumbent operating in the same categories as Gilfresh across European retail customers.
• Bonduelle: France-headquartered global leader in processed vegetables (canned, frozen, fresh prepared). Overlaps with Gilfresh in prepared-vegetable manufacturing for retail and foodservice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GilfreshProduce
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gilfresh-produce-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/gilfreshproduce/?hl=en

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gilfresh Produce