Northern Foods marketing campaign to promote Goodfella's Pizza

NORTHERN FOODS is to embark on a multi-million euro marketing campaign to promote Goodfella’s Pizza, assuaging concerns about the future of the company’s 550-strong workforce in Ireland.

Goodfella’s Pizza is produced by Naas-headquartered Green Isle Foods, which has been owned by British company Northern Foods since 2005.

Earlier this year, British businessman Ranjit Boparan acquired Northern Foods, following the collapse of a proposed merger between the British plc and Irish food company, Greencore.

Concerns had been raised about the future of the Green Isle division, due to the underperformance of the Goodfella’s range in recent years.

Northern Foods’ frozen foods division has consistently underperformed in recent years, with revenues declining by more than a fifth last year. Green Isle accounts for most of the company’s frozen food division, and employs about 550 people in four sites across Ireland.

Goodfella’s pizzas – which have a 20.9 per cent share of the UK market – are produced at the Green Isle base in Naas and Longford. But it has faced increasing competition from rivals such as German brand Dr Oetker.

The Green Isle plant received more than €20 million in investment in the last number of years, leading to a significant expansion and upgrade of the facility.

The 12-month advertising campaign to promote Goodfella’s Pizza will commence this month with TV and cinema ads and involves new packaging and a return to the brand’s original red and green colours.