Two Efficient Pack Houses
We pack the freshest quality whole head produce in our two packhouses
About Us
Gilfresh Produce is a third generation family run business, dedicated to sourcing the highest quality produce, both wholehead and prepared, for the island of Ireland.
Family Grown
Gilfresh Produce is a family owned business which was first established by the Gilpin Family in 1965, when Thomas Gilpin started his career growing vegetables in a 4 acre field. It wasn’t long before the business started to grow and by the 1980’s it had developed into large scale vegetable production.
In 1999 Thomas’s son, William Gilpin joined the family business full time, and is the current Managing Director. Today, William leads a team of approximately 140 staff based from the company’s Loughgall headquarters. Thomas’s brother, Kenneth and nephews, Richard and Alastair are also heavily involved in the farm side of the business today so it’s truly a family affair.
Our History
From the Beginning
Check out the timeline of our business to see how it has grown from small beginnings into one of the country’s leading vegetable suppliers.
1965
1980’s
1999
2001
2003
2010
2013
2014
2015
2016
2019
2020
2022
2023
2023
2023
2025
In the Beginning
Gilfresh Produce started off from small beginnings, which saw founder Thomas Gilpin start his career growing vegetables in a 4 acre field at his family home growing cabbages and scallions for the Belfast Market and supplying a small customer base.
First Taste of Retail Supply
Thomas’s first taste of supplying retailers came in the late 1980’s when Gilfresh Produce started to supply supermarkets, delivering to their distribution centres throughout Northern Ireland. Since then Gilfresh Produce have continued to grow and expand their customer base, meeting demand for fresh, quality, locally grown vegetables.
Thomas’ wealth of experience and innovative ideas enabled him to grow the business from a small operation to a significant local employer. He began working on new methods of storing coleslaw cabbage over the winter for local food processors. With this development Thomas began to create the current packing and storage facilities.
William Joins the Business
Thomas’s son, William Gilpin officially joined the business in 1999 and is the current day Managing Director. William spent his school holidays and his evenings learning the trade; helping out in the fields, learning growing techniques and about all aspects of the farming side of the business (Gilpin Farms). He also spent many hours working in our packing facility where he gained valuable experience in the production and operations side of what we do. He now leads a team of around 200 staff working to deliver the highest quality, fresh produce to valued customers throughout the island of Ireland.
New Packhouse Constructed
A new packhouse was constructed and operations started in it. The packhouse conforms to the highest standards within the industry having BRC Global Food Standard Accreditation.
New Carrot Washing Facilities
Introduction of unique new processing machine. It’s main function was to wash, peel and polish carrots, giving them extended shelf life. This cutting edge technology was the first to be installed anywhere on the island of Ireland and was only the second of it’s kind in the UK. This machine could also be set up to carry out similar processing for Swede and Parsnips and was a significant investment in the business.
Online Agronomy System Developed
Development of an online Agronomy system to trace crops from sowing to pack house.
Thomas Gilpin MBE
Thomas Gilpin was awarded an MBE for services to agriculture.
Thomas was very honoured to receive the award and stated that it was not just for him but for his family, the staff and workers at Gilfresh and vegetable growers across Northern Ireland.
High Care and Vegetable Prep Facility Added
Further development on the Gilfresh Produce site saw the addition of a high care and vegetable preparation facility.
This allowed Gilfresh Produce to better utilise more of the crop and launch a value added range of Gilfresh Branded Prepared Vegetables.
Anaerobic Digestion Plant Constructed
Construction started on an Anaerobic Digester Plant. This became operational in 2017.
The AD Plant allows Gilfresh to produce our own energy on site which not only powers our factory but also produces a fertiliser that we use to grow arable crops.
The AD utilises waste crop coming out of the pack houses which ensures a circular economy.
The addition of the AD plant benefited our carbon footprint and reduced waste produced on site.
Wind Turbine Constructed to generate further green energy
A wind turbine was installed which creates further green energy to help power the site.
Construction begins on second state of the art pack house
Construction commenced on a second packhouse on the site. This would add further cold storage and packing facilities to help meet growing customer demand.
Packhouse 2 Becomes Operational
Operations started in Pack House 2. Leeks, scallion, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower and pumpkins are packed here. This packhouse also contains additional cold storage facilities, allowing Gilfresh to extend the local season on many crops.
Gilfresh Prepared Veg Range Rebranded
Relaunch and rebrand of the Gilfresh Prepared vegetable range. The GIlfresh range of prepared vegetables is available from many of the leading retailers across the island of Ireland.
Gilfresh Fleet of Lorries Hits the Road
Gilfresh Produce developed the business further by investing in their own fleet of lorries, allowing them to bring their transport operation in house. This gives greater flexibility for our customers and allows the Gilfresh team to ensure that they can provide the highest quality standards from the farm right through to the customer depots.
Camera Grading Installed
Installed camera grading for both carrots and brussels sprouts meaning that we are faster, more accurate and more efficient in our packhouses and it also helps us to utilise more of the crop.
Gilfresh Farms Ltd Established
We expanded our farm operations through the establishment of Gilfresh Farms Ltd in Dundalk. This farm has allowed us to expand our growing operations into a greater area to meet with customer demand for locally grown produce.
Installation of new ERP system
We further invested in the business through the installation of a new ERP system to help streamline processes and improve our business technology capabilities.
Our Facilities
Current Day Operations
Peeling & High-Care Facility
Production of a range of prepared vegetable products – peeled, floreted, sliced, diced & batoned.
Cold Storage Facilities
Allows us to store produce to extend the local season.
Gilpin Farms & Gilfresh Farms
We grow vegetables on our own Farms – Gilpin Farms & Gilfresh Farms.
Suppliers to Major Retail Multiples
Delivering fresh produce right across the island of Ireland.
Supply Chain Management
We manage supply from seed to store.
Transport
Our own fleet of refrigerated lorries allows us to react to customer needs quickly.
Ability to Increase Capacity
Proven ability to increase output to meet seasonal demands.
Awards
Awards and Recognition
Gilfresh Produce are proud to have picked up a number of prestigious industry awards over the years.
Check out some of the highlights below.
2025
2025
2024
2024
2023
2022
2022
2021
2019
2019
2017
2016
2016
2016
2013
Lidl Social Impact Award
Gilfresh Produce were delighted to pick up the Social Impact Award at the recent Lidl Supplier Conference.
William Gilpin, owner at Gilfresh Produce was pleased to accept the award from Gillian Jenner, Senior Buyer at Lidl.
This award recognises organisations whose projects and initiatives make a meaningful difference to communities and employees alike. At Gilfresh, we are committed to contributing positively to our community through a variety of initiatives — from hosting visits to our facilities for customers, schools, and community groups, to delivering educational talks in schools and universities, organising fundraising events, and promoting health and wellbeing among our staff.
Leadship Award for Organisational Agility
We are very proud to have picked up the Organisational Agility Award at The Institute of Leadership Awards.
Business Agility is a people-centred, organisation-wide capability that enables a business to deliver value to a world characterised by ever-increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.
Despite facing various challenges over the past number of years, our team adapted and worked collaboratively to ensure that we navigated these to keep supplying the freshest, quality vegetables to our customers.
Third Air Ambulance NI Dragon Boat Title for Team Gilfresh
We were delighted to complete the Hatrick and pick up our third award at the Air Ambulance NI Dragon Boat Race.
Tesco Produce Supplier of the Year
We were delighted to be awarded Tesco Ireland ‘Produce Supplier of the Year’.
William Gilpin was delighted to pick up the award on behalf of the team here at Gilfresh Produce.
In presenting the award, Tesco called out in particular the outstanding work which we did as a team to deliver on Brussels Sprouts supply during Christmas 2023.
Dragon Boat Race Champions for the Second Time
We were very proud of our team who were crowned ‘Overall Race Champions’ at the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance Dragon Boat Race for the second year. We also raised almost £2000 for the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.
Richard Gilpin named Rising Star at IQFA Awards
Richard Gilpin, Head of Farm Operations at Gilfresh Produce picked up the prestigious ‘Rising Star’ Award at the 2022 Irish Quality Food Awards (IQFA). The ‘Rising Star’ Award recognises individuals aged 30 and under across both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland who have a passion for food and drink and are making strides within the industry.
The Gilfresh Produce Vegetable Fajita Kit was also awarded a Bronze Award on the night as well.
Awards Success at Balmoral Show
We were very proud to pick up the Balmoral Show award for ‘Best Trade Stand Displaying Local Food’. Pictured accepting the award is our Managing Director, William Gilpin.
Air Ambulance Dragon Boat Champions
Gilfresh Produce were delighted to take part in the Air Ambulance NI Dragon Boat Race which took place on the River Lagan in Belfast and pick up the prize for Overall Champions.
NIFDA Award
We were delighted to pick up the Deloitte Service Sector Award for our Sliced Leeks product at the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Awards.
We are delighted to announce that we are the Winner of The Deloitte Service Sector Award for our sliced leeks, at the Northern Ireland Food and Drinks Awards 2019.
Our leeks for this line are specially selected with specific varieties grown, that deliver a consistent ‘candlestick’ finish and colour mix.
Second ‘Tomorrow Matters’ Award for Gilfresh
We were delighted to pick up the ‘Tomorrow Matters’ Award for the second time at the at the annual Henderson Wholesale Fresh Innovation Awards.
The award was presented in recognition of our CSR and Sustainability programmes.
Best Agri-Food Business Award
Gilfresh Produce were delighted to pick up the Best Agri-Food Business Award at the Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon Council Awards.
Gilfresh were presented with this particular award in recognition of their services to the industry and CSR contribution.
As well as having solar panels, water recycling facilities and consolidating surplus products for distribution to local food banks, in 2016, Gilfresh introduced an Anaerobic Digester to create electricity from arable crops and waste vegetables. In 2017, this was joined by a wind turbine.
Gilfresh Recognised at Henderson Supplier Awards
Gilfresh Produce picked up the ‘Tomorrow Matters’ Award at the Henderson Wholesale Local Supplier of the Year awards which were announced during a special ceremony at the Balmoral Show.
Gilfresh Produce picked up the award in recognition of their outstanding contribution to CSR.
We were called out for a number of reasons including caring for own staff, supporting our local community and ensuring charitable giving throughout the year. Our commitment to to building energy efficient infrastructures was also key -with an Anaerobic Digester Plant constructed on site in 2016 which creates green energy to power our site,
William Gilpin Picks Up M&S Young Producer Award
William Gilpin was delighted to pick up the Young Producer Award at the M&S ‘Farming for the Future’ Awards presentation, which took place at the Balmoral Show.
Judges were particularly impressed with William’s can-do attitude, strategic planning and delivery and attention to staff empowerment and commitment to staff development.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Thomas
Thomas Gilpin collected the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Farming Life Danske Bank Awards. Thomas took the top accolade for his commitment to the arable industry. The company also took the Agri-Food Business of the Year prize.
Thomas Gilpin MBE
Thomas Gilpin was awarded an MBE for services to agriculture.
Thomas was very honoured to receive the award and stated that it was not just for him but for his family, the staff and workers at Gilfresh and vegetable growers across Northern Ireland.
Sustainability
We work in harmony with nature
As a leader in the fresh produce industry, Gilfresh Produce is committed to integrating sustainability into every aspect of our operations. We recognise that our actions affect the environment, society, and the economy. That’s why we strive to minimise negative impacts while maximising positive contributions. Our ultimate goal is to care for people and the planet while ensuring long-term prosperity.
People
Our people are our greatest strength. We aim to be an employer of choice by fostering a values-driven, high-performance culture that prioritises health, safety, and wellbeing. Our core values guide everything we do and shape how we support and empower every member of our team.
Planet
We work in harmony with nature by continuously reviewing our practices and seeking ways to reduce our environmental impact. While we are still early in our carbon reduction journey, we are actively exploring new technologies and improvements that support a more sustainable future. Our aim is to help build a resilient, local food system that can sustain generations to come.
Prosperity
We are dedicated to sustainable business practices that ensure the long-term economic health of our business and the wider local food system. We balance economic growth with environmental responsibility and social impact to create lasting value.
People
Our people are our greatest strength. We aim to be an employer of choice by fostering a values-driven, high-performance culture that prioritises health, safety, and wellbeing. Our core values guide everything we do and shape how we support and empower every member of our team.
Planet
We work in harmony with nature by continuously reviewing our practices and seeking ways to reduce our environmental impact. While we are still early in our carbon reduction journey, we are actively exploring new technologies and improvements that support a more sustainable future. Our aim is to help build a resilient, local food system that can sustain generations to come.
Prosperity
We are dedicated to sustainable business practices that ensure the long-term economic health of our business and the wider local food system. We balance economic growth with environmental responsibility and social impact to create lasting value.
Supply Management
We work closely with our sister businesses Gilpin Farms (Armagh) and Gilfresh Farms (Dundalk) to grow over 1000 acres of fresh vegetables and salads annually to supply our valued customers. As well as growing our own crops, we also coordinate annual growing programmes with a trusted network of trusted and experienced local growers and we also manage additional sourcing for import season for products such as broccoli, cabbage, leeks, scallions and parsnips to meet customer demand for these products all year round.
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Gilpin Farms
Gilpin Farms was established in 1965 when Thomas Gilpin left school and started growing a small amount of vegetables for the Belfast Markets. The farm has grown and expanded since then and now grows hundreds of acres of veg annually.
View Farm -
Gilfresh Farms
Gilfresh Farms in 2023 in Dundalk. This farm has allowed us to expand our growing operations into a greater area to meet with customer demand for locally grown produce.
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Our Trusted Local Growers
Beyond our own fields, we also coordinate annual growing programmes with a trusted network of local growers who supply additional crops like parsnips, cabbage, lettuce, mushrooms, strawberries, and cauliflower. These long-standing partnerships are built on mutual trust and a shared commitment to delivering high-quality, locally grown produce to our customers.
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Import Season Supply Management
Due to our climate, certain crops cannot be grown locally year-round. To ensure consistent supply and meet customer demand throughout all seasons, we supplement our offerings with carefully managed import programmes during off-peak growing periods for products such as broccoli, cabbage, leeks, scallions, and parsnips.
Careers
Grow your Career with Gilfresh Produce
From production to engineering, farming to finance, sales to supply chain, compliance to logistics, there is always exciting opportunities across our business for highly motivated, forward thinking people to join our dynamic team.