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Production
Mushrooms are predominantly sourced from our grower base in Ireland and are supplemented by grower partnerships in the UK, Holland and Poland.
Our entire supply base is carefully managed by our own Technical Advisors who are constantly monitoring and assisting growers to achieve best practice in all areas. All sites growing for Walsh Mushrooms are subject to regular third party audits.
Every grower complies with codes of practice laid down by Walsh Mushrooms and the UK retailers and meets all EC legislative requirements.
As these farms are privately owned the attention to quality is very strong. All the harvesting is done under the watchful eye of the owner/manager, which guarantees quality and enhances the shelf life of mushrooms.
Packhouses
Our packhouse at Athlone, Co Westmeath liaises with every grower on a daily basis, controlling production and ensuring the arrival of fresh picked product every day to meet our order requirements. Purpose built in 1999, Athlone packhouse has up to date facilities employing the most advanced automated packing lines. Advanced grading systems and rapid cooling equipment are also utilised.
Mushrooms from our Irish supply base, arrive at the packhouse from noon onwards for grading, packing and shipping to Evesham that day.
All produce is carefully checked on arrival for quality and weight, with all checks being recorded. The packing operation takes place throughout the afternoon. All mushrooms are then vacuum cooled prior to final despatch to rapidly obtain optimum temperature and enhanced shelf life. The produce is loaded onto dedicated vehicles and shipped overnight to arrive in the UK in the early hours of the next morning.
Vale Park, Evesham Packhouse
This 26,000 sqft depot was completed in August 2000; investment in several high speed packing and labelling lines enables this most up to date facility to handle all the product from our continental growers and larger Irish producers.
Mushrooms collected from our larger commercial growers in Ireland are shipped directly to Vale Park, by-passing our Irish packhouse facilities. With similar services to those supplied by Athlone packhouse provided in Evesham, this clearly produces a more cost effective supply chain.
Vale Park also houses the prepared mushroom line, through which we are able to offer the food manufacturing sector washed, sliced or diced mushroom ingredients ready to be incorporated in ready meal / pizza etc recipes.
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