How it all happened
1957
In 1957 Matt Begley started a vegetable run with a small van, establishing Begley’s. In those early days Matt loaded his truck at the Dublin Market with fresh fruit and vegetables, which they then packed in the garage of their house in Tallaght before driving to shops across Dublin to make deliveries. It was a true family business with Matt, Phyllis and her father Johnnie, and Celine also lending a hand to pack the potatoes before delivery to customers.
1980’s
By the 1980’s Begley’s were buying fruit and vegetables from Irish based importers, before packing and selling to customers across Dublin. Greg and Paul Begley joined their parents in the business after leaving school. In 1983, the Begley Brothers bought a building outside the Dublin Fruit Market on Arran Street East and from this they expanded their business beyond being fresh produce distributors, into fruit and vegetable importers.
1990’s
Throughout the 1990’s, Begley’s forged strong relationships with growers in the UK and Europe. Greg also identified a small but growing demand for organic fruit and vegetables. Begley’s Simply Organic was formed in response to this demand, placing Begley’s as the go to partner for fresh organic produce in Ireland. In 1996 the Begleys Brothers built a state-of-the-art temperature controlled facility in Blanchardstown Corporate Park to partner with retailers across Ireland.
The New Century
The new century saw further growth with a professional management team now working alongside the Begley family management. Begley’s also moved, from supplying wholesalers and food service, to working directly with retailers. Focusing on key lines with their growers enabled a guarantee of 12-monthsupply to retailers, with Irish grown produce supplemented with imports outside the local growing season. Over this time Begley’s have now established their reputation as a strong partner of exotic fruit and vegetables to Irish retailers.
Today
Today, we are known as Begley’s Fresh Produce and operate from a purpose built, temperature-controlled depot at Kilshane Cross since 2015 along with several other sites across Dublin and Ireland where we grow and farm over 1,000 acres of Irish vegetables and salads. The close relationship established with growers across Ireland for more than 30 years remains strong, providing a route to market for a high volume of Irish grown produce. That model has been expanded to establish close relationships with growers of organic, conventional and exotic produce across the globe. The business is committed to sustainability and a proud member of Origin Green and Biodiversity Ireland. This commitment to sustainability has made Begleys market leaders in sustainable packaging solutions and plastic free packaging solutions.
OUR SUSTAINABLE MISSION
At Begleys we recognise our role in the fight against climate change and towards sustainable development. Running an eco-friendly, green and sustainable business is a core company value and has been a key objective for many years. Our goal to run our business as sustainably as possible, set in 1997, still remains to this day and is further supported by the targets we set each year as part of our Bord Bia Origin Green membership.