'We see huge growth opportunities': Northern Ireland food-to-go manufacturer eyes expansion after securing new investment
Newry’s Around Noon takes on equity backing to scale operations and expand its footprint across key markets
Northern Ireland food-to-go manufacturer Around Noon has secured investment from Whiterock to support its next phase of growth across the UK and Ireland.
Headquartered in Newry, with additional sites in North London and Slough, the business plans to use the funding to build on its existing growth trajectory and expand its market presence.
Founded by the Chambers family, Around Noon is one of the largest producers of food-to-go products across the UK and Ireland, supplying more than four million items each month. Its range includes sandwiches, wraps, salads, hot deli options, snack pots and bakery products.
The company serves a wide range of sectors including retail, contract catering, travel, education, forecourts and coffee outlets.
The investment comes through Whiterock’s Growth Capital Fund, which focuses on backing ambitious businesses with strong expansion potential.
Chief executive Gareth Chambers said the deal would support the company’s ambitions to scale: "We see huge growth opportunities in the UK and Ireland, and taking on equity backing will be incredibly helpful to us in being able to scale significantly.
"We are grateful to the Whiterock team for their support and expertise and believe they can play a very valuable role in the next phase of Around Noon and our growth."
Paul Millar, chief executive of Whiterock, said the firm was pleased to partner with a well-established Northern Ireland business: "Around Noon is an incredible story of Northern Ireland business success and a company that is truly respected in the food to go sector. We are extremely pleased to partner with Gareth and the team to help them realise their ambitions for further growth.
"Beyond capital, we provide strategic guidance, industry insight, and access to a wider network to support management teams through their next phase of growth and we are incredibly excited about what we believe Around Noon can achieve."
Whiterock has been operating in Northern Ireland for more than 14 years. It has managed more than £250m across five funds and to date has deployed in excess of £150m, which has leveraged over £100m of further funding from other funders.