Stone Bakery creating 20 jobs with £4million investment in Crossmaglen factory

A long-standing employer in the area and home to a range of leading baked goods for 80 years, the newly extended facility is set to become one of Europe’s biggest gluten free bakery sites and will produce a range of artisan-style vegan, dairy free, and gluten free flatbreads for local and international markets.

With this investment, the company is aiming to double its turnover over the next three years.

Ronan McNamee, Stone Bakery business owner, said: “The McNamee family has been baking in Crossmaglen for over 80 years and I’m incredibly proud to continue that tradition with the opening of the first dedicated ‘free-from’ manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland.

“This investment will allow us to continue the world class bakery tradition in Crossmaglen while fulfilling the fast-growing consumer demand for ‘free-from’ products.

“From my experience in the baking industry, consumer trust in the food chain is as much a driver for growth in our business as quality and taste. Delivering on our ambition to be the most trusted gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan bakery brand in the world, our new Stone Bakery manufacturing site will enable us to control the entire chain from seed to shelf and continue to supply the best quality flatbreads in the market with total processing transparency.”

Stone Bakery has been assisted by Invest NI to establish its presence in Crossmaglen with an offer of support of £425,000 towards the new jobs and a range of specialised equipment required to manufacture its niche range of artisan flatbreads. Blending the long-established reputation for excellence enjoyed by Take N’ Bake, the equipment being installed, along with the expertise in the business, marks the continuation of world class baking, product innovation, and bakery management.

Welcoming Stone Bakery to Northern Ireland, Brian Dolaghan, executive director of Invest NI, added: “We’re delighted to support Stone Bakery’s innovative new business in Northern Ireland. The growth of the ‘free-from’ food market is continuing, and Stone Bakery has its sights set on growing its share of this market across GB, Europe and beyond including North America.

“With our support, the company is purchasing new equipment to help it streamline its manufacturing processes and create new career opportunities for people in the locality. The new operation will have a positive impact on the Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council area, contributing almost £1million in additional annual salaries to the Northern Ireland economy once the jobs are in place.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you