BWG beefs up food-service business with acquisition of Galway meat supplier

BWG, the owner of the Spar retail franchise in Ireland, has further beefed up its food-service division with the acquisition of a Galway-based meat supplier to the hospitality industry for an undisclosed sum.

The group has bought family-owned Heaney Meats Catering, which recorded sales in 2018 of €21.8 million and profits of €850,000. Brothers Kenneth and Shayne Heaney will continue to run the business for BWG following the transaction, which is subject to clearance from competition regulators.

Heaney employs about 75 staff at its facility in Galway city, which will transfer to BWG. Its clients include the new Center Parcs resort in Longford, which opened earlier this year. BWG is also a supplier to the resort, while it and Heaney have a separate partnership deal to supply it with meat and poultry.

Heaney also has a number of large public sector clients. Its trade with the State includes contract wins with the Health Service Executive and the defence forces.

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Leo Crawford, the chief executive of BWG, said the deal will help BWG expand its division that supplies the food-service industry. Heaney Meats said joining BWG was "a very positive development" that will help business grow.

BWG Food Service has grown rapidly in recent years and now accounts for about 10 per cent of the group’s €1.5 billion turnover. The division supplies about 10,000 outlets nationwide.

The Heaney acquisition is the latest in a string of buyouts by BWG in recent years. Last year it bought Galway-based poultry supplier, Corrib Foods, while it also bought midlands-focused retail supplier 4 Aces Wholesale.