Irish Country Meats

What Irish Country Meats does

Irish Country Meats is Ireland's largest sheepmeat processor and the dedicated lamb division of ABP Food Group, established in 1992 and operating two state-of-the-art processing facilities in Camolin, Co. Wexford and Navan, Co. Meath. The company produces premium lamb cuts (rack, chops, sirloin steaks, shoulder, rolled leg), boneless formats, and ready-to-cook solutions under a portfolio of brands — Slaney Valley, Celtic Lamb, Irish Country, and a certified Organic Lamb line processed under Bord Bia's Organic and Quality Assurance Schemes. Belgian affiliate A. Lonhienne, with over 50 years of expertise and its own national distribution fleet, extends reach into Belgium as supplier of choice to key retailers and foodservice providers.

The business operates a pure B2B model, selling to retail, foodservice, and wholesale customers across Europe and beyond through direct sales relationships; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company monetizes per-shipment processed lamb volume rather than licensing or recurring contracts. Research and supply-chain partnerships with Teagasc, Sheep Ireland, and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation — including the Five-Star Ram Trials tracking 1,200+ lambs annually — underpin upstream yield improvements such as 12-day faster finishing and 1.8kg heavier drafts. Sustainability positioning is anchored by science-based targets (27% Scope 1&2 and 17% Scope 3 emissions reduction by 2030) and Origin Green Gold Membership, supported by an Irish farmer supply network of 45,000+ farmers via parent ABP Food Group, which contributes an estimated €1.3bn annually to rural economies across its broader group operations.

Name

Irish Country Meats

Legal name

Irish Country Meats

Website

https://irishcountrymeats.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Irish Country Meats is Ireland's largest sheepmeat processor and the dedicated lamb division of ABP Food Group, producing premium cuts, boneless formats, and certified organic lamb for retail, foodservice, and wholesale customers across Europe via two state-of-the-art facilities and a Belgian affiliate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lamb and Sheepmeat Processing

NAICS

Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering (311611)

SIC

Meat Packing Plants (2011)

akta.pro primary industry

Further Processing (Cooked, Smoked, Cured & Deli Meats) (AFAKALAD)

Keywords

• Lamb meat processing
• Sheepmeat products
• Meat manufacturing
• Food processing services
• Lamb supply chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Enniscorthy

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Lamb Meat Products: Irish Country Meats generates revenue through the processing and sale of premium lamb products including premium cuts, boneless formats, and ready-to-cook solutions to retail, foodservice and wholesale customers across Europe and beyond.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Irish Country Meats is Ireland's largest sheepmeat processor and one of Europe's leading lamb processors. Founded in 1992, it operates as the dedicated lamb division of ABP Food Group, processing and supplying premium lamb products to retail, foodservice, and wholesale customers across domestic and international markets.

Product overview

Irish Country Meats is Ireland's largest sheepmeat processor and one of Europe's leading lamb processors, operating as the dedicated lamb division of ABP Food Group. The company offers a comprehensive lamb portfolio spanning multiple brands: Slaney Valley (premium lamb from south east Ireland), Celtic Lamb (sustainably farmed), Irish Country (core brand with full traceability), and Organic Lamb (certified organic). Product range includes premium cuts (rack of lamb, lamb chops, sirloin steaks, shoulder, rolled leg), boneless formats, and ready-to-cook solutions. Operations span two state-of-the-art facilities in Camolin, Co. Wexford and Navan, Co. Meath, with A. Lonhienne as a Belgian affiliate providing extended European coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Slaney Valley: Premium lamb sourced from select local family farms along the River Slaney in Ireland's sunny south east, reared on wholesome natural diet and expertly prepared by skilled butchers.
• Celtic Lamb
• Irish Country

Products and services

• Premium Lamb Products

Quantifiable outcome

• Five-star sired lambs finished 12 days sooner with 1.8kg heavier weight and 2% higher kill-out rate, resulting in 1.5kg heavier carcass
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ABP Food GroupcoreOthers · 1 January 2016ABP Food Group is one of Europe's leading food processors supplying premium quality beef and lamb worldwide. In 2016, the Group entered a joint venture with Irish Country Meats, strengthening its expertise in premium lamb production. Irish Country Meats became fully integrated into the business in 2021. ABP contributes €1.3bn into rural economies each year and works with 45,000+ farmers.
• A. LonhiennecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA. Lonhienne is an affiliate of Irish Country Meats and Belgium's leading lamb processor with over 50 years of expertise. The company offers a full concept-to-table service, providing tailored lamb solutions to meet each customer's specific business needs. It has become the supplier of choice for key retailers and foodservice providers across Belgium, producing a complete range of carcass, primal, deboned and retail-ready lamb products.
• Plastics Action AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish Country Meats is a founding member of the Plastics Action Alliance, committed to reducing plastic use and improving recyclability across the supply chain. Working collaboratively with industry partners to build a more resilient, responsible system that delivers long-term environmental benefits.
• TeagasccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeagasc is the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority. Irish Country Meats participates in the ABP Demonstration Farm initiative run in collaboration with Teagasc to research and test practical ways to reduce on-farm emissions and improve efficiency in lamb production.
• Sheep IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSheep Ireland is the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation's sheep breeding programme. Irish Country Meats collaborates with Sheep Ireland on the ABP Demonstration Farm and Five-Star Ram Trials, with all participating flocks part of the Sheep Ireland LambPlus programme.
• Irish Cattle Breeding FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish Country Meats participates in the ABP Demonstration Farm initiative run in collaboration with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation to pioneer more sustainable farming practices and research practical ways to reduce on-farm emissions.
• Bord BiacoreOthersBord Bia is Ireland's national food and drink board. Irish Country Meats is certified under Bord Bia's Organic and Quality Assurance Schemes. The company holds Origin Green Gold Membership and collaborates with Bord Bia on the Flocks of the Future initiative and Sheep Ireland LambPlus programme.
• Origin GreencoreOthersOrigin Green is Ireland's national food and drink sustainability programme led by Bord Bia. Irish Country Meats holds Gold Membership, recognising their ongoing progress and dedication to continuous improvement across every area of the business.
• Flocks of the Future Programme PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlocks of the Future initiative involves collaboration with Bord Bia, Teagasc, and Sheep Ireland to support and inspire young farmers aged 16-25 years old. Participants receive a mini flock worth over €2,500 along with tailored mentoring and support.
• 100 Million Trees ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish Country Meats supports the 100 Million Trees Project, an initiative to plant 14 species of native Irish trees in 'mini forests' of up to 2,500 trees. Trees are provided free to landowners who commit to protecting them for future generations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Randall Parker Foods: UK-based sheep and lamb processor serving major UK retailers and foodservice operators. Most directly comparable to ICM as a dedicated lamb-focused processor with similar B2B distribution model and premium cut specialization.
• Dawn Meats: Irish headquartered meat processor operating across beef and lamb with pan-European supply to major retailers. Comparable as a fellow Irish meat processor with overlapping farmer supply networks and similar B2B customer base.
• Kepak Group: Irish meat processor with significant beef and lamb operations serving European retail and foodservice. Closely comparable business model, customer base, and value-added product focus to ICM.
• Dunbia: UK and Irish meat processor (now part of Dawn Meats group) serving major retailers with lamb and beef products. Operates a similar integrated supply chain model with farmer partnerships and value-added processing.

Broad incumbents

• Moy Park: European poultry processor owned by Pilgrim's Pride, supplying major UK and Irish retailers and foodservice. Adjacent comparable as a fellow vertically integrated Irish/UK protein processor serving the same retailer customer base, though specializing in poultry rather than lamb.
• ABP Food Group: Parent company of ICM and one of Europe's largest privately held meat processors with beef, lamb, and pet food operations. Not a direct peer but the ultimate strategic parent whose scale and capital allocation drive ICM's trajectory.
• Cranswick: UK food manufacturer producing premium pork, poultry, and cooked meats for major UK retailers. Comparable as a UK-listed protein processor with similar focus on added-value, traceable products and direct supply relationships with major grocers.
• Hilton Food Group: UK-based food packaging business partnering with major retailers to pack fresh protein including beef, lamb, and pork. Adjacent peer operating in the same end-to-end protein supply chain for European retailers but focused on contract packing rather than primary processing.

Regional players

• Tulip Ltd (Pilgrim's Pride): UK pork and poultry processor owned by Pilgrim's Pride, supplying major UK retailers and foodservice. Comparable protein processing business model though focused on pork/poultry rather than lamb and primarily serving UK rather than pan-European markets.
• Bradley Nook Group: Northern Ireland-based lamb processor supplying UK retail and foodservice markets. Comparable as a smaller-scale lamb specialist in the British Isles serving similar customer channels, though with a more limited product portfolio than ICM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irish-country-meats
• Xx.com/LambSpecialists

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Irish Country Meats