ABOUT US PRODUCTS AGRI SUSTAINABILITY NEWS CAREERS CONTACT Recent Posts Great Taste Awards 2018 Thursday, 02 August 2018 10:48 Dawn Meats, which has operations in ten locations around Ireland, and many more across the UK and Europe, has been recognised with more than 20 stars at the prestigious Great Taste Awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food. As the premium beef and lamb supplier of choice to a wide range of blue-chip food businesses in over 40 countries, Dawn was awarded three of the top ranked 3 Star awards for its: West of Ireland 50-Day Dry aged French trimmed bone in Rib, described by the judging panel as “the Sunday joint of our dreams” Borders Lamb Shoulder Joint of which the judging panel remarked “the depth of flavour is truly remarkable” Caledonia Crown Aberdeen Angus matured marbled Standing Rib described by the judging panel as “simply beef at its best”. In 2018 over 500 judges assessed entries from March through to early July. 12,634 products were entered in 2018. Commenting on the awards, CEO of Dawn Meats, Niall Browne said, “Well done to our teams across Ireland and the UK who have outdone themselves this year, in their dedication to quality, taste and presentation. This recognition is a great result for the team and their collaboration with our farmer suppliers.” Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the acknowledged benchmark for speciality food and drink. It has been described as the ‘Oscars’ of the food world and the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize’. Read More Published in News Dawn Meats and other leading companies come together to address key sustainability challenges for Ireland Friday, 18 May 2018 07:50 Dawn Meats CEO Niall Browne along with many of the CEOs of Ireland’s top companies have this week launched The Leaders’ Group on Sustainability which is a business coalition focussed on addressing some of the most urgent sustainability priorities for Ireland. Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI), the national network for sustainability, has brought together 26 leading Irish companies, representing a workforce of over 90,000 people, to work collaboratively to address social, environmental and economic priorities. Dawn Meats CEO Niall Browne stated “As a company Dawn Meats has always had sustainability at its core and formal sustainability targets have been in place since we launched our first sustainability plan in 2009. We believe in the power of collective action and the leadership role that business can and must play in delivering a sustainable future for our employees, suppliers and customers.” One of the first actions announced by the Group is the Low Carbon Pledge – the first dedicated public commitment generated by Irish business to lead on the transition to a low carbon economy and reduce Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions intensity by 50% by 2030. The CEOs are calling on business leaders to make sustainability a central priority of their leadership and promote a low carbon vision across their operations, products and services to help Ireland achieve its international commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement. The companies involved with the Leaders’ Group on Sustainability have all achieved BITCI’s Business Working Responsibly Mark, the NSAI audited standard for CSR and sustainability. Tomas Sercovich, CEO of Business in the Community Ireland, said, “The imperative set by the Sustainable Development Goals demonstrates the scale of the challenges we face. Business will play a critical role in the achievement of these goals and this can only be done through collective action. The US$ 12 trillion economic opportunity of the low carbon and inclusive economy needs to be embraced by Irish businesses. We must adopt a long term and beyond 2030 view of our business models. We are delighted to convene this unique platform for change in corporate Ireland and we will seek to influence the business community as well as policy in key areas”. Mr Browne added “For many years Dawn Meats has worked collaboratively with Origin Green, Bord Bia, Teagasc, our customers and other stakeholders to deliver sustainability improvements within our sector, but what is really powerful about this coalition is the cross sectoral nature of the group, which will encourage all companies to make even greater progress.” In addition to addressing the transformation to a low carbon economy, The Leaders’ Group on Sustainability is also working together to remove barriers to social inclusion in Ireland by examining how Irish businesses can improve their processes and culture to train, attract and retain marginalised and vulnerable people. The Group has also identified the need for businesses to adapt to emerging work practices that will transform Irish industry like the gig economy, contract work and automation to ensure those changes benefit employee, employer and society as a whole. The Leaders’ Group on Sustainability meets regularly to discuss best practice and to review progress on its stated aims. UCD is the knowledge partner for the Group and will provide ongoing research support to help develop and refine the sustainability goals. Read More Published in News Dawn Meats awarded Global “Scale for Good” award by McDonald’s Wednesday, 09 May 2018 16:09 Dawn Meats has been awarded the McDonald’s Global “Scale for Good” Award. This Global award is a first for McDonald’s and is the second occasion where Dawn Meats sustainability credentials have been recognised by the McDonald’s Global Leadership Team. The award recognises the key leadership role that Dawn Meats has played over many years in programs which advance the cause of ethical, environmental and economic sustainability in European beef production. The award was presented to Dawn Meats CEO, Niall Browne, Group Commercial Director, Richard Clinton & Food Safety and Quality Director, Brian Hyland by McDonald’s Corporate Executive Vice President Francesca DeBiase and Vice President Keith Kenny with the senior leadership team of the Global Supply Chain and Sustainability team in attendance. Scale for Good is McDonald’s strategy to leverage its global reach with millions of customers, employees, franchisees, suppliers and other partners to take collaborative action on some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges in the world today. McDonald’s is the first restaurant company in the world to address global climate change by setting a Science Based Target to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To reach this target, McDonald’s will partner with franchisees and suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to McDonald’s restaurants and offices by 36 percent by 2030 from a 2015 base year. Additionally, McDonald’s commits to a 31 percent reduction in emissions intensity (per metric ton of food and packaging) across its supply chain by 2030 from 2015 levels. This combined target has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Niall Browne CEO Dawn Meats said: “We are delighted and honoured to accept this award on behalf of all the team at Dawn Meats. As a business we have recognised for some time that doing the right thing and using our scale for good will build a more robust business for the future, for the benefit of our employees, customers and farmers. Our CSR strategy is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and in McDonald’s we have a true partner who is equally committed to furthering the achievement of these Goals. We look forward to continuing our progress in the coming years.” Keith Kenny Vice President Sustainability at McDonald’s commented: “Improving the sustainability of how beef is produced for McDonald's is a key part of our Scale for Good strategy. Dawn Meats, champion sustainable beef production, both through their actions and ambitions within their own supply chain and in their industry leadership, working with external bodies to define and develop sustainable farming techniques.” Read More Published in News Galway Food Festival 2018 Wednesday, 04 April 2018 10:58 Dawn Meats proudly sponsored this year's Galway Food Festival which was held over the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend from Thursday 29th March to Monday 2nd April 2018. The festival now in its seventh year celebrates the city and county's culinary landscape, showcasing the people, produce, and passion that have firmly established Galway as the food capital of the west. We were delighted with the response and engagement we had from festival goers who enjoyed the beef and lamb cooking demonstrations presented by the talented JJ Healy. JJ created six fantastic dishes that featured Dawn Meats premium quality beef and lamb, to provide festival goers with inspiration for cooking delicious beef and lamb recipes at home. Recipes included: Roast Loin and Rack of Lamb, Gratin Potato, Honey and Herb Glazed Vegetables Mini Lamb Burgers in Brioche Buns Topped with a Rhubarb Chutney Grilled Spiced Lamb Sausages on a Skewer with a Mint and Chive Yoghurt Beef Wellington, Grilled Asparagus, Beef Dripping Potatoes and Béarnaise Sauce Chilli Con Carne with Pilaff Rice Beef Lollipops Glazed with Sweet Soya Sauce, Garlic, Chilli and Ginger Click the link below to view the full recipe booklet from the event. Published in Recipes Download attachments: Galway_Food_Festival_Recipe_Booklet.pdf The Green Food & Beverage Award 2018 Wednesday, 21 February 2018 17:31 Dawn Meats was delighted to be awarded “The Green Food & Beverage Award” at the prestigious Green Awards 2018 at the Clayton Hotel, Dublin. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Green Awards, Dawn Meats was awarded the “Green Food and Beverage” award in front of an audience of close to 450 industry professionals. The annual event at which the cream of Ireland's green industry is recognised, was hosted by Colm O’Regan. Over the course of the evening, awards were presented to 23 progressive national organisations, leaders and teams. David O’Flynn Head of CSR at Dawn Meats commented “we are delighted to have won this award which recognises the effort of thousands of team members from Dawn Meats. Together we are working towards our company goal of being Europe’s most sustainable meat company.” Dawn Meats has actively promoted initiatives over several years to engage with farmers, research organisations and other interested stakeholders in supporting sustainable agriculture. In 2017 it launched the Young Beef Farmer Sustainability Program ( YBFSP ) in collaboration with Macra na Feirme which takes young beef farmers on an intensive schedule of activities over the course of 16 modules. Young Beef farmers that participate in the YBFSP will gain great insights into profitability, sustainability and efficiency improvement on their own farms and an understanding of the beef industry from farm to fork. The company has also established a demonstration suckler beef farm in 2015 at Newford, Athenry. The Newford farm aims to share best practise in grassland management, breeding, animal health and welfare which will support environmentally and commercially sustainable beef production. For more information, visit http://www.newfordsucklerbeef.ie Pictured receiving the award from Dawn Meats (l-r): Declan Keely, John Coleman, David O' Flynn and Richard Clinton. Read More Published in News Climate Debate Heats Up as Students Tackle Ireland's Responsibilities at Great Agri-Food Debate Friday, 16 February 2018 13:20 UCD were crowned winners of the 3rd Annual Great Agri-Food debate, organised by Dawn Meats and McDonald’s Ireland, as students from five third level colleges gathered in Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). The event has become a key date in the college calendar for agriculture students with a growing number of teams competing this year and ambitious plans to expand further in 2019. Throughout the day teams from Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC), Cork Institute of Technology and Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT) debated key topics for the Irish agriculture industry including; Brexit, consumer behaviour and sustainability and CAP. The event culminated in a heated and well-informed debate between UCD and CIT on the motion “Ireland takes its environmental responsibilities and commitments seriously.” UCD, supporting the motion argued that Ireland’s reputation all around the world as a green, environmentally conscious producer is evidence that the country has embraced the environmental challenge. They argued that targets alone are not a measure of whether Ireland takes its environmental responsibility seriously. The team also flagged the many ways in which Ireland has been an innovator, from Croke Park’s designation as the first carbon neutral stadium in the world, to the introduction of the BER scheme and the way that Ireland is leading the world in passive design. CIT argued that Ireland has failed to “walk the walk” on its environmental responsibilities time and time again, and that the country continues to choose the economy over the environment. They put it to the audience that going green costs money, money that Ireland doesn’t have. They also referred to the recent coverage of plastic waste in the form of disposable coffee cups, and questioned why these cannot be banned sooner than 2030. Commenting at the event, Niall Browne, CEO Dawn Meats said; “Firstly, well done to all the students that took part today, and welcome to Waterford, the home of Dawn Meats. It is great to be in Waterford Institute of Technology for the third year of the Great Agri-food debate. Through the debates today, we have touched on many of the most pertinent issues facing farmers and food producers in Ireland. The sustainability challenge is one that is particularly close to our hearts in Dawn Meats. We have ambitious 2025 targets to reduce water and energy intensity by 40% and CO2 emission intensity by 50% and we aspire to become Europe’s most sustainable meat company in the process. The students have provided great food for thought today on fulfilling that commitment.” Commenting Peter Garbutt, McDonald’s UK & Ireland, said; “It’s wonderful to see such a high standard of informed and impassioned debate, with students from five colleges that are centres of excellence in agricultural studies. McDonald’s is delighted to facilitate this showcase for the future leaders of our industry to make their voices heard on some of the biggest issues of the day. It’s vitally important that young people are encouraged to engage on these topics many of which will impact the future of farming and agriculture in Ireland and beyond.” The quarter final saw UCC take on CIT on the impact of Brexit on the agri-food industry. In the first semi-final CIT debated WIT on consumer behaviour as key to food sustainability, while reigning champions UCD took on Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT) on the issue of CAP in the second semi-final. The winners of the Best Speaker prizes in the quarter-final, two semi-finals and final were respectively Avril O’Driscoll, CIT; Aoife Forde, WIT; Owen Cashman, UCD; and Una Sinnott UCD. The final debate was moderated by Justin McCarthy, Editor of the Irish Farmers Journal and the judging panel included Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats; Tara McCarthy, CEO of Bord Bia and Peter Garbutt of McDonald’s UK & Ireland. Throughout the day representatives from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, BWG Foods, AIB, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank, Enterprise Ireland, Teagasc, Agri-Aware and Meat Industry Ireland, participated as judges and moderators, in a very interesting and robust series of qualifying debates. Read More Published in News Food Manufacturer of the Year 2018 Friday, 16 February 2018 09:31 Dawn Meats, trading as Dunbia in the UK, is celebrating success after being named Food Manufacturer of the Year at the prestigious Food Management Today Industry Awards 2018 Voted Food Manufacturer of the Year by readers of Food Management Today magazine in this year’s industry awards, Dunbia was presented with its award by John Torode, at a celebratory lunch in London attended by 300 industry professionals. The Food Management Today Industry Awards are an annual celebration of business excellence and are testament to the creativity and innovation of the British food industry Marcus Sherreard, Retail Sales Director said: “We are honoured to have been nominated by our peers and are delighted to win the Food Manufacturer of the Year award. I would like to thank all of our staff for their hard work and commitment which has been duly recognised by this achievement.” Read More Published in News Dawn Meats wins Bord Bia Sustainability Award Thursday, 30 November 2017 11:33 Dawn Meats was awarded the Sustainability Award, recognising innovation and impact at Bord Bia’s biennial Food and Drink Industry Awards. The presentation was made at Dublin's RDS Concert Hall at a ceremony of over 300 Irish food and drink industry leaders hosted by RTE’s Miriam O’Callaghan. We have ambitious 2025 targets to reduce water and energy intensity by 40% and CO2 emission intensity by 50%. We have also set ourselves the goal of being Europe’s most sustainable meat company. Sustainability across the wider business has been prioritised since we published our first sustainability plan in 2009. As one of the first verified members of Origin Green, we have had our sustainability credentials endorsed by many external agencies, and since 2012 annual progress under Origin Green has been independently assessed to the highest international standards. In 2017 Dawn Meats became the first food manufacturer to achieve BITC Ireland’s Business Working Responsibly Mark for our flagship Carroll’s Cross Plant in Waterford. 2017 also saw the publication of our first Corporate Social Responsibility Report which laid out the five pillars of our sustainability strategy, which included ambitions in the areas of sustainable sourcing and animal welfare. Commenting on the award Dawn Meats CEO Niall Browne said: “We’re delighted to see our commitment to sustainability recognised with this award. At Dawn Meats we have set ourselves challenging goals to further improve our sustainability performance. None of this would be possible without the commitment of our staff. We have a really strong CSR committee at management level, but the buy-in throughout the organisation has been a credit to every member of the team.” David O’Flynn, Group Head of CSR added: “Bord Bia through Origin Green and it’s 270 verified members, has raised the bar for sustainability across the Irish food and drinks industry and shared progress globally through its world leading Origin Green program. We are honoured to be recognised in this forum for our sustainability work and our commitment to collective action. Our progress has only been made possible because of the commitment and teamwork across agriculture, sourcing, resource management, workplace, community engagement and innovation.” In their citation the judges for the Bord Bia award said: "Dawn Meats illustrated excellence, innovation and impact in corporate sustainability. There was a clear link with all stakeholders including farmers and customers - their progress in operations and their commitment to the future.” Read More Published in News Dawn Meats wins “Excellence in Health & Safety” Award at the Agribusiness Awards 2017 Monday, 13 November 2017 14:45 Dawn Meats has been recognised with the ‘Excellence in Health & Safety’ award at the 3rd annual Agribusiness Awards in Dublin. We were chosen as a result of our work in raising awareness of food safety, through our annual Food Safety Week. The Agribusiness Awards celebrate and recognise organisations and individuals who have contributed to Ireland's position as a global leader in the agricultural sector. The awards cover all areas of the agricultural industry including dairy, beef, poultry, beverages, seafood and food processing. Commenting on the award, Brian Hyland, Group Food Safety and Quality Director at Dawn Meats said: "We are very pleased to accept this award on behalf of all the team at Dawn Meats who contribute every day to achieving our standards of excellence. Celebrating success in this way recognises Dawn Meats’ ongoing commitment to sustainability. Food Safety is fundamental to everything we do and is a corner stone of our Group sustainability goals". During Food Safety Week across our plants, we aimed to raise awareness among team members, customers and suppliers at work and in their home environments on issues such as temperature control, hand-washing, allergens and cross contamination. Over 3,000 information leaflets and 3,000 fridge thermometers were distributed with over 450 people taking part in the UV Hand Wash Challenge. Pictured left to right: Oonagh McNerney, CEO & co–founder of VISUM, Emma Dwane (Retail Quality Supervisor), Joe Calvey (Quality Supervisor) and John Coleman (Group Technical Manager Ireland). Read More Published in News Dawn Meats and Dunbia Deal Closes Friday, 29 September 2017 10:41 The strategic partnership and acquisition agreement announced in May 2017 by Dawn Meats and Dunbia has been completed, with all relevant regulatory clearances approved. Dawn has agreed a strategic partnership with Dunbia to establish a joint venture in the United Kingdom comprising the UK operations of both organisations. The combined UK businesses now trade as Dunbia and are managed by former Dunbia CEO Jim Dobson as CEO, and Dawn Meats CEO Niall Browne as Executive Chairman. Today the new brand and logo for the joint venture was unveiled to staff and customers at the business’s headquarters in Dungannon, Northern Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, Dawn has acquired Dunbia’s operations, and now has 9 facilities (including 5 abattoirs), following the addition of two complementary Dunbia facilities - one abattoir in Slane, and one boning hall in Kilbeggan. The combined businesses in the UK and Ireland will process approximately 900,000 cattle and 2.6 million sheep annually. Commenting, Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats said: “We are very pleased to have successfully concluded this process and can now look to deliver the benefits that we believe this transaction will bring for our customers, staff and suppliers. Our focus will continue to be on quality and sustainability across 3 leading national businesses: Dawn Meats in Ireland, Dunbia in the UK and Elivia in France.” The combined businesses in the UK are highly complementary, and will offer customers regionally sourced solutions for both beef and lamb from 15 facilities across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Jim Dobson, CEO of Dunbia said: “I am excited today to be introducing a fresh look for the new Dunbia business in the UK. The partnership will ensure that we can grow as a leading supplier in the UK market and deliver long-term solutions for our customers and a strong relationship with our farmer suppliers.” Read More Published in News Start Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next End Core Activities Red Meat Retail Packing & Food Service NPD & Value Added Frozen Patties Trading Hides Rendering Quick Links Latest News Our Brands Product Brochures Agri Initiatives Sustainability at Dawn Downloads Contact Dawn Meats, Grannagh, Waterford. IRELAND X91 HRR3 Phone: +353 51 309200 E-mail: info@dawnmeats.com DAWNMEATS.COM © 2018 | DISCLAIMER