Riverview Eggs is the February 2014 winner of the Business Awards Section in the highly successful Glanmire Sports, Business & Community Awards, sponsored by Fitzgerald’s Vienna Woods Hotel.

Michael Magner, director of Fitzgerald’s Vienna Woods Hotel (main sponsors) commended the latest winner of the Business Award category, Riverview Eggs, saying: “We at Fitzgerald’s Vienna Woods Hotel are delighted to be associated with this very successful Sports, Business & Community Award Scheme. This is our seventh year to be involved and we are delighted with the new initiative that has gone from strength to strength.”

Husband and wife team, Dan Joe and Margaret Kelleher began egg production in 1966 to supplement the farm income. They started with 700 hens in a barn at the home farm. Thanks to country markets and local shops and bakeries, and sheer hard work, the business grew each year.

Today, Riverview remains a family-run business. Dan Joe and Margaret’s son, D.J, is the Managing Director, while Mary Kelleher is Financial Controller.

Riverview is a growing family business situated in Watergrasshill on the outskirts of Cork city.

Riverview provides employment in the local Watergrasshill area for approximately 20 people. A further 40 people are employed on a national level, through our family operated production farms.

Riverview is in a very prized position as it is the largest producer/packer, located on the south coast, and outside of the poultry concentrated area of Monaghan, which is located to the northern end of the country. This gives Riverview Eggs a very strong lead in preventative disease control.

Margaret Kelleher, through her position in the Irish Egg Association set in place the first testing for Salmonella in the laying flocks of Ireland in 1988. This was to prove integral in the coming years for the creation of the Egg Quality Assurance Scheme with Bord Bia. DJ Kelleher was appointed to the technical committee of Bord Bia for the creation of the Egg Quality Assurance Scheme (EQAS). The EQAS incorporates the principals of ISO 9002, HACCP and all DAFM legislation.

Riverview was the first producer/packer to be granted the EQAS Certification in 1998. The Bord Bia EQAS standard is now a pre-requisite for supplying all retail groups in Ireland and most catering outlets.

In September 2006, Riverview Eggs Ltd. achieved Grade A status in the British Retail Consortium Global Food Standard (BRC) Accreditation. BRC is globally respected as the foremost accreditation standard attainable for product quality control and safety, in the Food Industry. Riverview continues to hold a Grade A certification.

• Riverview is a valued supplier partner to SuperValu and Centra Supermarkets, where they supply the Supermarket needs in the southern half of Ireland. Riverview are sole supplier to Dunnes Stores in Cork and Kerry.

• Riverview supplies the Riverview branded eggs to Tesco Ireland, in the Cork and Kerry Region. Riverview has been a supplier to Tesco, and formerly Quinnsworth, for over 30 years

• In 2012, Riverview was delighted to be selected as the national branded egg supplier to Londis. Riverview also supplies the symbol groups Spar, MACE etc.

• In June of 2013 Riverview was selected as the sole nationwide supplier of branded and own label eggs to the Barry group of CostCutter stores.

• In March 2014 Riverview was selected at the nationwide sole egg supplier to all 189 Gala Retail stores.

• Riverview is delighted to be the sole egg supply partner to Pallas Foods in the Republic of Ireland.

• Riverview supplies many wholesale and food services groups, such as Keeling’s, Total Produce etc.

• Riverview also supplies direct to hotels, restaurants and other catering outlets.

Thanks to the business partnership with the major retailers and food services groups, Riverview continues to grow and invest heavily in their production base. This ensured they were fully compliant with all EU and national welfare legislation, which came into effect on 1st January, 2012.

All eggs produced for Riverview are produced to the very high EQAS and BRC standards. All production farms are family owned and operated as part of a family farm unit, which ensures the strictest controls and more “hands on” running of the farms.

The production of eggs is taken very personally by all producers, to ensure the best quality eggs, at all times.

Over the years the Kelleher family have developed a full range of products including Free Range, Organic, Omega Enriched and Commercial eggs at competitive and realistic prices.

Riverview has recently become part of the Bord Bia Brand Forum and Foresight4Food initiative. This is a new initiative to assist companies to develop and grow their brands and indeed the food category which they are part of. Riverview has seen its brand grow to now being recognised as the second largest egg brand in Ireland. This has bucked the national trend, where the market has seen branded products in decline versus on brand. Riverview was shortlisted for the Bord Bia 2013 Food Awards.

Mr Alf Smiddy has been the Chairman at Riverview since in 2011. Alf brings many new learnings and strengths to the Kelleher family business. Alf was previously the MD of the Beamish and Crawford Brewery in Cork.

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