Kilkeel firm's Oh So Lean’s low-fat and low-salt convenience meals are now on sale in all 41 NI Lidl stores

Shoppers in Lidl stores across Northern Ireland are being given an opportunity to enjoy premium low-fat and low-salt convenience meals developed by an enterprising family food business in Kilkeel, Co Down.

Included in the Lidl chillers are four original meals from Oh So Lean, a small food manufacturing firm overlooking the harbour and run by father Sean Morgan, an experienced butcher, and son Connor.

The company, which they formed in 2010, has the next two weeks to capture the attention of shoppers at our biggest discounter… and gain a potentially lucrative permanent listing.

Connor explains: “We’d been pitching to Lidl for this opportunity for some time. We’ve now been given a trial run for four products. It’s a huge opportunity for our small family business from Kilkeel, and getting a permanent listing with one of the country’s leading retailers would take us to the next level. We’re so close.”

On sale in all 41 Lidl stores here are Oh So Lean’s shredded chicken noodles, chicken curry, honey chill chicken and shredded beef with dauphinoise and peppered sauce, all of which are produced from recipes developed by Sean and Connor.

In addition to being low-fat and low-salt, Oh So Lean has developed its range of healthy foods that are free from gluten, dairy, soya, additives and MSG and without added sugar.

Ingredients for the products are mostly sourced from other local suppliers such as Londonderry’s Foyle Food Group, which provides low-fat meat to the company’s specifications for its meals.

A low salt bacon has also been developed by the company in its commitment to healthier foods. The bacon is then cured by rubbing it by hand with salt using a unique technique Sean has pioneered to remove the salt. The bacon is 50% lower in salt than the lowest currently on the market.

As a result of its longstanding focus on premium low-fat products, Oh So Lean has won a series of awards in the all-Ireland Gluten Free Awards. It’s also a member of Gluten Free Ireland which has been campaigning to increase awareness of the health issues from allergens.

Oh So Lean developed from Sean’s determination to help Connor, then aged 20, to lose weight. He set about making foods for Connor and before long had a variety to choose from. Connor’s desire to help others on the same weight loss journey led to the growth of Oh So Lean.

Sean devised his own fat-free sausages and burgers to help Connor on his journey.

Eating the foods his father prepared led to such dramatic weight loss that people on social media were soon bombarding Connor with requests about his secret, father and son gave up their jobs to launch their own food company, Oh So Lean.

The team now includes nutritionists, butchers and chefs, who are constantly developing and innovating their ever expanding range of healthy foods. In the Oh So Lean portfolio are foods free from gluten, soya, MSG, dairy, vegan and low calorie ranges.

The Lidl trial gives Oh So Lean the opportunity to join the developing group of local foods on sale across the Lidl network here.

Several have also seen their products on sale in the RoI, where the discounter has more than 160 outlets and employs over 5,000 people.

Lidl spent £347 million with local agri-food producers last year. A recent economic impact report said the spend supported some 60 local producers and “underpinned the sector”.

While much of the food was sold within Lidl local stores, it said £298 million was marketed through its retail network throughout the world, including to customers in Great Britain, Europe, Romania, Greece and the US. It is now one of Northern Ireland’s largest supermarkets with 41 stores and 1,000 employees. The budget brand has grown substantially since first arriving in the province and opening its first

outlet in Cookstown, Co Tyrone in 1999. It also operates a major distribution centre at Nutts Corner, near Antrim.

Lidl Northern Ireland said it has been supporting small and medium sized enterprises and home-grown businesses to realise their potential through its industry-leading Kickstart Supplier Development Programme. Now in its fifth year, the retailer has invested more than £1 million in growing more than 30 local suppliers through the initiative.