Northern Irish manufacturer Deli Lites is investing nearly £19m to increase capacity and broaden its food-to-go product range.
Planned funding of £12.8m, supported by Invest NI’s Agri-Food Investment Initiative, is being spent on automating production at its Warrenpoint site and developing new products for international markets such as sandwiches and heat-to-eat items. It will also help reduce food waste by up to 50%.
A further £6m from the company is to be used to upskill its existing workforce of 300 employees whilst recruiting for 130 new jobs, including highly skilled roles and ten management positions – among these was Nigel Cairns, appointed in May as its new chief commercial officer.
Speaking during a visit to the Warrenpoint factory, Northern Ireland’s economy minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said the investment would unlock significant growth opportunities for Deli Lites. “Increased capacity and new automated equipment will boost productivity and enable it to expand its fresh and frozen ranges, growing its sales in Britain and Ireland, and open up additional export markets,” she commented.
“With 78% of our food and drink sold outside the north, this industry showcases the quality, innovation, and global appeal of what we produce right here at home,” added the minister. “The creation of 130 new jobs in Warrenpoint, which will help leverage almost £10m in wages and salaries across the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area by 2027, is also good news as we work to deliver a more regionally balanced economy.”
Established in 1998 by husband-and-wife Brian and Jackie Reid, Deli Lites supplies fresh gourmet sandwiches and food-to-go products including sweet treats like pastries, muffins, and traybakes to convenience stores, supermarkets, major coffee chains and international airlines. Customers include Applegreen, Costa Coffee, Aer Lingus, and American Airlines.
“Since our beginnings over 30 years ago, we are now an all-Ireland business with export sales growing in international markets,” said Deli Lites co-founder and CEO Brian Reid. “We’ve always been a trailblazer in our sector, shown when we became the first sandwich maker in the UK and Ireland to achieve B Corp certification [in December 2022].”
Invest NI’s Agri-Food Investment Initiative is a £46m scheme to support local agri-food and drink processors to improve competitiveness and productivity.
Gráinne Moody, director of food and drink at Invest NI, previously talked to British Baker on the sidelines of its 2024 Northern Ireland Food & Drink Showcase about the importance of bakery production in the region.
She said the new Deli Lites project will increase innovation and boost productivity by transforming labour-intensive processes and increasing digitalisation, noting how it builds on Invest NI’s past support to the company to develop products for the European market. “Our overseas trade teams are also working with Deli Lites to explore new international markets as it grows,” added Moody.
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