Dawn Meats to hire 15 new staff as €125m contract with Aldi announced

The contract will be over five years and is worth €25 million annually.

Along with the new recruits for the supplier, Dawn Meats is to add six new lines to the Aldi range and increase their supply to the retailer by 35pc.

The Waterford-based supplier has worked with Aldi since 2010.

The news of the significant contract with Dawn Meats comes after the retailer announced last week it is to invest €400 million in 30 new stores.

The new stores will lead to the creation of 1,000 new local jobs over the next five years.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD welcomed today’s announcement and showed Aldi’s commitment to the Irish beef sector.

“I welcome this announcement by Aldi of their continued commitment to Irish suppliers and their support for producers around the country,” he said.

“This €125 million announcement with Dawn Meats is an indication of the scale of Aldi’s commitment to the Irish beef sector and is an endorsement of the quality of beef produced by Irish farmers every day.”

Founded in 1980, Dawn Meats employs over 8,000 employees in 12 countries and has 11 sites across Ireland.

The new contract will now accelerate a €5 million expansion plan for their facility in Waterford.

The CEO of Dawn Meats Niall Browne said the company looked forward to building on their relationship with the retailer.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with Aldi for this significant contract. For over 10 years now, we have been proud to be involved with Aldi Ireland’s success story providing an increasing range of consistent quality and sustainably sourced meat products,” he said.

“We look forward to continue developing, growing and innovating with Aldi, building on our long-standing successful relationship.”

Aldi this year marks 25 years in Ireland. With 4,650 employees in 161 stores across the country the retailer works with 330 Irish producers.

The Managing Director of Buying and Services of Aldi Ireland Colin Breslin said the contract would ensure customers could purchase beef that was of a high standard.

“We are delighted to extend our relationship with Dawn Meats, a company that shares our commitment to quality and sustainability.

“This continued partnership ensures that our customers can enjoy the best Irish beef, sourced sustainably, and produced to the highest standards,” Mr Breslin said.