McCormack’s Farm in Boycetown, Kiltale, Co Meath has launched a new-look range of baby salad leaves and cut herbs.
The second-generation family enterprise’s new-look packaging features more sustainable materials, with punnets coming from recycled plastic (rpet).
This results in saving over 58,000 tonnes of Co2 each year compared with virgin plastic.
They claim the amount of savings in CO2 emissions is equivalent to lighting a 13-watt bulb for 2,301 years. Besides, they added, it saves over 2.6m plastic bottles from ending up in a landfill.
It has also reduced plastic film thickness in its packets year on year, with a 20% reduction in 2020.
McCormack’s Farm
Established in 1984, by Eddie McCormack, McCormack’s Farm first began growing vegetables and trading at a historic Dublin Corporation Fruit and vegetable market.
His son, Stephen, took over the business in 2000 and, in the intervening years, diversified into growing baby salad leaves and herbs.
The business now operates off 700-acres of farmland, including 3-acres of polytunnels and three acres of glasshouses.
90 staff support the business off-season and over 120 do so during peak season. McCormack’s describes itself as the “largest producer of salad leaves in the Irish market”.
It is the “only nationwide supplier of unwashed leaves”, which it harvests alongside herbs and edible flowers for retail and foodservice outlets nationwide.
This ‘honest leaves’ ethos is central to the business and means that their leaves’ flavour, quality, and texture are maintained and stay naturally fresher for longer due to a shorter route from farm to fork.
McCormack’s supplies punnets and packs of individual baby salad leaves, along with a range of signature mixes which it developed in response to rising consumer trends for healthy eating. These include:
- Energise Supermix –McCormack’s healthiest mix yet, which is “perfect” for fuelling active lifestyles. It includes baby spinach, baby beet leaves, baby red kale leaves for enhanced flavour and nutrients.
- Family Pack – Winner of Blás na hEireann 2020 Chef’s Choice Award.
Almost 40 years in business
Founder Stephen McCormack said: “We have been growing quality produce for almost forty years in the most natural way.”
“We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved to date. Farming in a nature-friendly way has always been at the heart of what we do.”
“We are delighted to launch our new product range which better reflects and communicates this to customers.”
“We want people to know that their salad leaves are grown right here in Meath during the Irish growing season, and out of season, are sustainably sourced from like-minded farmers in warmer countries who provide the same care and attention which guarantees quality, taste and freshness every time.”
