New dawn at processing chain

Dawn Meats is to take full control of the Dunbia business, giving the Irish company full control of 12 meat processing factories across the UK.

The move takes place after Dunbia co-founder Jim Dobson announced that he would be retiring and follows on from the merger of the two businesses in 2017. But while Dawn meats will take full ownership of Dunbia’s UK facilities, , the business in the UK will still operate under the Dunbia name and with the same management team.

The move means that Dawn Meat’s combined businesses in the UK and Ireland will now process approximately one million cattle and three million sheep annually, employing over 7,000 staff, and working with over 30,000 farmer suppliers.

“Combining our operations in the UK has been a strategic success based on a strong cultural fit between two family owned businesses that shared a deep connection to farming and an ethos centred on quality and sustainability,” said Niall Browne, CEO of

Dawn Meats.

“Jim is a legend within our industry and we are proud to maintain the traditions and name he created as we continue to serve our UK customers and farmer suppliers,” he added.

Industry commentators said that the Irish beef industry was uniquely exposed to Brexit - with more than 50 per cent of the country’s beef output going to the UK - and that Dawn’s takeover of Dunbia could act as a Brexit buffer as well as cementing its UK supply chain.