IRISH Pride, one of Ireland’s leading plant bakeries, has won a contract to supply the Irish Defence Forces, writes Ann Marie Foley.

The deal, to feed over 10,500 army, navy and air force personnel, is worth E160,000 (£109,342). Irish Pride and another local bakery, Hickey’s, will supply around 90,000kg of bread to 21 military bases between December 1, 2005 to November 30, 2006.

Products to be supplied include white and wholegrain sliced pan, soda bread, batch bread, bread rolls (brown and white), and French bread sticks.

Hickey’s bakery in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, is to supply the local barracks there and its

40 personnel.

Previously, the milatary’s bread had been supplied by the two same companies, but also by Gallaghers.

Irish Pride is part of the IAWS group. It has three bakeries and produces over one million loaves of bread per week.