OUR COMPANY

Buchanans is the proud brand name used by our company, W.G. Buchanan & Son Ltd. A family owned and operated company that has been sourcing and supplying natural whole foods since 1871.

W.G. Buchanan & Son Ltd are a family owned and operated company that has been sourcing and supplying whole food ingredients since 1871. Our Buchanans brand was best known for “Soup Mix”, our wholesome blend of barley, lentils and split peas and the base ingredient for many home cooked soups and broths that have brought warmth to many on a cold winter’s night and to this day, remains our best-selling retail product.

Over the years, we have greatly expanded our range to adapt to differing eating trends and consumer demands and our range now encompasses a comprehensive range of cereals, pulses, rice, dried fruit, seeds and culinary nuts.

Our current Managing Director, Jonathan McVeigh is the grandson of William McVeigh who worked alongside the Buchanan family until he eventually bought the business from them in 1940, retaining the original brand name. From its founding in 1871 the company premises were located in the centre of Belfast before moving to Newtownabbey in the 1980’s. Further expansion over the years saw the need for a larger and more dedicated facility. So in 2007 we relocated to a new production and warehousing facility in Carrickfergus. This provided the company with a significant increase in capacity where we are able to supply an excellent service directly to retailers, wholesalers and foodservice providers throughout Ireland, the U.K and further afield.

With a wealth of experience passed through the generations we take great pride in forming lasting relationships with all of our suppliers to ensure a consistent supply of quality products. This key principle is entrenched throughout each area of the business and allows us not only to deliver quality products and exceptional customer service and satisfaction, but also offer competitive pricing to our customers which enables them to compete and succeed in their respective markets.

QUALITY CONTROL
& FOOD SAFETY

We are accredited by the BRCGS who are a market-leading global brand which ensures a consistent delivery of high quality foods as well as the capacity to provide a private label service to both retail and foodservice customers.

We carefully select and assess all of our suppliers to ensure that they supply to the most stringent quality checks. We aim to work with factories that have HACCP, ISO 22000, EFSIS or BRC accreditation’s, ensuring a consistency of quality that the end users appreciate. We encourage our customers to visit us at our Carrickfergus base to experience first-hand the standards we have set and how we control our products.

For further information on BRCGS click here.

To view or print a copy of our accreditation certificate, please click here.

OUR PEOPLE

Particular focus is placed on the development and retention of key staff as we seek to provide a pleasant environment for our staff to operate whilst continually investing in all our staff to ensure they are equipped with the latest knowledge and techniques that produce a healthy and productive working environment.

"It’s simple, great ingredients make great food"

OUR FACILITIES

Our 25,000 square feet purpose built facility is located in Trooperslane Industrial Estate on the edge of Carrickfergus, Co Antrim. Having our production and warehouse facilities on site with head office ensures seamless communication between production, logistics and administration to ensure products are sourced, packed and distributed efficiently and we work closely with our local transport partners, our location (a short distance from Belfast and its major road and shipping network) allows timely delivery of orders for the benefit of our expanding customer base.As part of continued expansion, we added a stand-alone nut facility in 2019. Whilst previously our nuts had always been packed under strict allergen controls, with their own machinery and segregated areas within our main site, we made the decision to move these completely to their own dedicated facility to provide assurance to our customers and remove both potential cross contamination and the use of alibi “may contain” statements

Our Commitment

Although our company has been committed to its traditions for generations, we are constantly striving to update our practises to keep up with the ever-changing needs of our customers, and to reduce our carbon footprint. From new recyclable packaging and improved waste management, to installing multiple electric car charging stations and doubling the surface area of our solar panels, we are taking great steps towards sustainability with many more to come.