An Irish food company has signed a €40m deal with Lidl, which will see it supply its Irish, European and British markets.

O'Brien Fine Foods will supply all Lidl Ireland and Lidl Great Britain stores all year round - and 14 European countries twice yearly on a promotional basis.

The Kildare-based company is the primary producer of Lidl Ireland's sliced hams, beef and poultry lines.

Lidl has also made a further €50,000 investment in O'Brien Fine Foods - which will see their Irish beef produce exported to more than 3,000 Lidl stores in Germany as part of their Christmas 2020 offering.

Under the new agreement, Lidl will list O'Brien Fine Foods products in a total of 7,438 Lidl stores - including Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Finland, Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Spain.

The deal comes as the company launches four new ham products under the Lidl own-brand range.

File photo shows the logo of a Lidl supermarket in 2009 | Image: Bernd Wüstneck/DPA/PA Images

Henry Howard, senior Buyer for Lidl Ireland, said: "Supporting local Irish producers has always been a core commitment for Lidl.

"After 20 years of operating in Ireland, we are proud to say that this commitment continues, with Lidl now working with over 250 food and drink producers across the island.

"In terms of quality and flavour, the O'Brien Fine Foods range of cooked meat products are second to none and we are delighted that our customers in Ireland will continue to enjoy them, and that our international customers will have the opportunity to sample the best of Irish produce."

Managing director of O'Brien Fine Foods, John O'Brien, added: "This commitment by Lidl will allow us to invest in and expand our operations to enable to us to increase our output of high quality ham, beef and poultry products and continue providing consumers with the 100% Irish, Bord Bia-approved cooked meat products that they know and love.

"We are grateful for their continuing support and look forward to working with them for years to come."

O'Brien Fine Foods is a family-run business based in Timahoe, Co Kildare.

It operates from three dedicated facilities in Kildare, Meath and Westmeath.

Main image: Pictured (left to right): Brendan Conway, buying executive for Lidl Ireland; John O’Brien, managing director of O’Brien Fine Foods and Henry Howard, senior buyer for Lidl Ireland | Image: Supplied