Casual Dining & Contract Catering Sector

Just Eat’s Irish arm pays €10m dividend to parent as profits jump

Irish Times – 21.10.2021

Just Eat’s Irish arm paid a €10 million dividend to its parent last year after profits and revenues jumped sharply during the pandemic. Just Eat Ireland Limited employed an average of 35 people at the end of 2020, as against 44 in the prior year. In the Republic of Ireland, Just Eat has over 2,600 takeaway restaurants online and its app has been downloaded over 2.5 million times since it launched locally in May 2008.

Vertical farm Emerald Greens in Compass Group deal

RTE – 11.10.2021

Compass Group Ireland has agreed a deal with Emerald Greens, the country's first commercial vertical farmer, which will supporting the future of sustainable horticulture and help reduce food miles. Brian O'Reilly, a former mushroom farmer, and his brother Aidan, launched the first commercial hydroponic farm in Ireland to grow basil, baby leaf mixes and microgreens 365 days a year. Operating under the new Emerald Greens brand, the brothers are using cutting-edge indoor farming technology to grow crops sustainably year-round from their base in Co Tipperary. Crops are grown in soil-free vertical layers in former mushroom tunnels using hydroponics. As a result of the deal, Emerald Greens will see production capacity rise by 20%, which will allow the O'Reilly’s to expand their vertical farming business with the addition of a second growing tunnel.