Ashdale Catering expand business with new premises

They say family comes first, and nowhere is that more evident than at Cork-based Ashdale Catering. The McGinn family has created a business with this core value at its heart and carries it through in their day-to-day operations.

Founded nearly two decades ago by Martin McGinn, Ashdale Catering was built on the belief that school children in the Cork city area deserve access to nutritious, delicious, and wholesome food that fuels learning and growth.

Sadly, Martin passed after a battle with cancer in 2010, but the business continues to thrive under the leadership of Martin’s siblings, Jennifer and Declan, along with their father Liam, who remain at the heart of a growing business.

As Managing Director, Jennifer said: "We are the essence of a family business, and it has been a hard graft over the years. We have many family members and friends working in the business, which is continually growing. It is amazing!” 

The company has gone from strength to strength in the last few years by providing an excellent service and product to schools in Cork. They pride themselves on never having missed a day’s delivery to any school, whatever the weather. This remarkable achievement reflects the passion and professionalism of the entire team.

The recently expanded school meal scheme now provides every child with the opportunity to receive a hot meal in the middle of the school day. Schools need not worry about installing kitchen equipment or ovens as Ashdale Catering deliver food directly to the school. The food is freshly cooked each morning and delivered hot and ready to eat in time for lunch.

With the success of the business, Ashdale Catering has recently relocated to a new state-of-the-art premises in Frankfield to facilitate the growing demand for quality food and service.

“The government brought in a pilot scheme four years ago whereby they tested a hot meal scheme in a couple of schools across the country. Some Cork schools were chosen, and we were fortunate enough to work with a few of them. And then over the last two years, the government committed to funding a hot meal for every child in every school every day. 

"So, it is a government initiative that saw our business take off, and we had to grow with it. We outgrew our last premises in Blarney, so we moved to Ballycurreen Industrial Estate in Frankfield, where we built a state-of-the-art facility. Our new kitchen and incredible equipment have made it easier and more efficient to cater for the large number of lunches we now serve.” 

The chefs at Ashdale Catering now make all their sauces from scratch, including a nut-free pesto and provide over 12 choices per day for children, including vegetarian and gluten-free options. They are always looking at ways to enhance the menu.

Jennifer has had a tremendous amount of feedback from parents and teachers on their service.

“The feedback is incredible. The parents are delighted to know that the children had dinner in school. It’s a huge weight off, and teachers will tell you that it does make a difference to the children’s concentration and learning. While many schools have been with Ashdale for nearly 20 years, some schools have only recently been able to avail of the service, for example, New Inn, Shanbally and Eglantine in Douglas."

David Nolan, Principal, Shanbally National School, said: “Since 2024, we have engaged with Ashdale Catering. We originally chose Ashdale due to their reputation for high-quality food and exceptional level of service, and we are pleased to say they have lived up to this reputation, proving to be an excellent partner.

“Ashdale provides a most reliable service, offering nutritious food that caters for all dietary needs. From an administrative point of view, they are a pleasure to deal with and are very accommodating with any requests or queries. The Parent Portal is user-friendly, and they are currently expanding the menu options available. The company has seen huge success in the last few years based on a lot of hard work, dedication to providing an excellent service and quality product over the last two decades. The introduction of school meals with Ashdale Catering has been hassle-free, which is an important consideration for busy principals and staff."

Principal Michael O'Deasmhúnaigh, Scoil Ghleanna Maghair IIochtaraigh, New Inn, Glanmire, Cork said: "From Jennifer and Liam at the head of the organisation to John our delivery driver, Ashdale have been wonderful. Professional, personal, top-class service. Our children chose Ashdale, having trialled several others. Their choice was and is excellent. The quality of the food, the reliability of the service, and the ease of communication make Ashdale a top-class company to work with. Maith sibh!"

Many factors set Ashdale apart from other school catering companies; however, it all goes back to the nutritious meals they provide. Every morning, from 4 am, the team at Ashdale Catering prepare fresh hot food that is ready to serve shortly afterwards. Apart from this, the company’s model works for schools that do not want to install ovens or kitchens.

“We're governed by guidelines from the Department of Social Protection, which are set out for the School Meals Programme. We tick all the boxes; we have a nutritionist working with us, who breaks down the nutritional values of each of our meals. That's all available on our website, which the parents have access to every day. I suppose my thoughts are always that no food leaves here that I wouldn't feed my children. So that's the basis we work on.”

There are many reasons you should choose Ashdale Catering, but most importantly, it is about keeping it local.

“We are in very close proximity to all our schools. If there are ever any issues, there is always someone around. It makes sense to get your lunches locally rather than bringing them from Dublin, Tipperary or Wexford. We are a family business, and we are supporting local, employing local and our suppliers are also local.

"With the opening of our new premises, Ashdale Catering looks forward to continuing this tradition of excellence and to strengthening its partnerships with schools across Cork for many years to come. We are thankful to all the schools, families and partners who have been part of our journey so far. We look forward to many more years of nourishing young minds and bodies!”

For further information on Ashdale Catering, visit www.ashdalecatering.ie.