Irwin’s is

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

’s largest independent bakery and supplies a range of traditional Irish

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

s to supermarkets throughout the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

. Founded in Portadown in County Armagh in 1912, as of 2017 the company reportedly had 337 employees and a turnover of approximately £29 million. The business was originally founded by W.D. Irwin as a grocery retailer. His wife and sister-in-law were home-bakers, who began to bake cakes and bakery items for the shop. Additional bakers were later employed to cope with the increasing trade. In 1965, Irwin's launched Nutty Krust, a brand of plain or batch bread which went on to become "one of Northern Ireland's most popular grocery products". The company is still owned by the Irwin family. 25% of Irwin's products are sold in Great Britain, 12% in the Republic of Ireland and the rest is sold in Northern Ireland. The company has reportedly been "steadily increasing the popularity of Irish bread products" in Britain.

References

External links

* {{official, http://www.irwinsbakery.com Food and drink companies of Northern Ireland Bakeries of the United Kingdom Portadown 1912 establishments in Ireland Bakeries of Ireland Food and drink companies of Ireland Irish brands