Food company celebrates 25th anniversary with Kildare guest of honour

O’Brien Fine Foods recently celebrated its 25th anniversary alongside one guest of honour from County Kildare.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD (Fine Gael) was the guest of honour at the event, which took place at O'Brien Fine Foods' headquarters in Timahoe (Kildare).

The event also featured Jim O’Toole, the CEO of Bord Bia, and Mark Christal, of Manager Food, Sustainability and Climate Change with Enterprise Ireland. Members of Kildare County Council and Kildare Chamber also attended the celebration.

According to the business, O’Brien Fine Foods has "a major financial footprint, in the Kildare region, contributing tens of millions annually to the local economy through indirect employment and supplier contracts".

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O’Brien Fine Foods also insisted that it has "a long-standing relationship" with Gaelic games in Kildare through Brady Family’s sponsorship of Kildare GAA, LGFA and Camogie.

In addition, the company said that it works with children’s charity Barretstown, food waste initiative Foodcloud and has a school partnership with Ard Scoil Rath Iomgháin.

Speaking at the event, Minister Heydon said: "O’Brien Fine Foods represents the best of Irish enterprise — a homegrown company that has grown from modest beginnings to become a leading player in the food sector.

"Their focus on local sourcing, sustainability and innovation is a model for what Irish food businesses can aspire to."

He added: "It is a pleasure to mark this 25-year milestone alongside the O’Brien family and their team. Their success story is a testament to what can be achieved when deep community roots and strong business vision come together."

John O’Brien, Managing Director of O’Brien Fine Foods, said that reaching 25 years in business "is a proud moment for all of us at O’Brien Fine Foods".

He further said: "From our beginnings with just 18 people to today’s team of over 600 across Ireland and the UK, our growth has been driven by a belief in quality, innovation and community.

"I want to sincerely thank Minister Heydon for joining us today, and acknowledge the hard work, loyalty and passion of our colleagues – they are the reason we are celebrating this milestone today."

Pictured at O'Brien Fine Foods 25th anniversary celebrations in Timahoe are (from left): Jim O’Toole, CEO of Bord Bia; John O’Brien, managing director of O’Brien Fine Foods; Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon TD and Bill O'Brien, owner of O’Brien Fine Foods. Photograph credit: Ken O'Halloran

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