Celebrating 60 Years of Local Excellence at Gilfresh Produce

Carla Lockhart MP • July 30, 2025

Upper Bann MP, Carla Lockhart has praised the commitment and innovation of family-run business Gilfresh Produce following a recent visit to mark their 60th anniversary.

Gilfresh Produce, based in Loughgall, has been supplying top-quality fresh vegetables for six decades. The company has grown from humble beginnings on the Gilpin family farm into one of Northern Ireland’s leading suppliers of ready-to-cook vegetables, distributing across the island of Ireland.


Speaking following her visit, Carla Lockhart MP said:


“It was a real pleasure to visit Gilfresh Produce and help celebrate an incredible milestone of 60 years of excellence in agri-food. This superb, family-run business has stayed true to its roots while embracing innovation, sustainability, and growth.


Hearing about the inspiring journey from Thomas Gilpin MBE’s early days on the farm to today’s modern, thriving operation was very inspiring. With William Gilpin now leading the business into its next chapter, it is heartening to see that the core values of quality, commitment, and local pride remain at the very heart of Gilfresh.  It truly is a family run business with Thomas’s brother Kenny and his family firmly committed to the growth of the overall business offering. 


I am incredibly proud to represent Upper Bann. It does my heart good to see family-run businesses like Gilfresh not only surviving but thriving, continuing to invest in the local economy and food supply chain.


We had excellent discussions around future growth and innovation, as well as the pressing need for greater government recognition and support for the agri-food sector, particularly family-owned enterprises like Gilfresh.


Congratulations again to all the team on reaching such a fantastic milestone.  I trust the company will have many more years of growing success!”


The visit comes as Gilfresh Produce celebrates 60 years in business, highlighting their long-standing contribution to Northern Ireland’s food industry and their continuing role as a major local employer.

Share

By Carla Lockhart MP July 30, 2025
Upper Bann MP, Carla Lockhart has met with the Minister for Health, Mike Nesbitt, alongside senior representatives from Marie Curie, to highlight the urgent need for strategic investment and reform in palliative and end of life care across Northern Ireland.
By Carla Lockhart MP July 30, 2025
Upper Bann MP, Carla Lockhart has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament to mark the 160th anniversary of The Salvation Army, and to commend the vital and compassionate work of its teams across the Upper Bann constituency.
By Carla Lockhart MP July 30, 2025
Upper Bann MP, Carla Lockhart has paid tribute to the powerful friendship between Philip Robinson and the late Jim Archer, as Philip undertakes a 200-mile walk in memory of his best friend of 40 years.
By Carla Lockhart MP July 30, 2025
Upper Bann MP, Carla Lockhart has welcomed the commencement of long-awaited resurfacing works on Mill Hill, Waringstown, following sustained lobbying efforts on behalf of local residents.
By Carla Lockhart MP July 24, 2025
DUP Agriculture spokesperson Carla Lockhart MP has welcomedan initiative offering free industry-accredited ATV training for farmers in GBand Northern Ireland.
By Carla Lockhart MP July 24, 2025
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart seized an opportunity in Parliament on Tuesday to speak powerfully on behalf of the people and businesses of Northern Ireland, laying bare the daily impact of the post-Brexit Protocol and Windsor Framework.
By Carla Lockhart MP July 24, 2025
Publication of the government’s draft legislation for the 2025-26 Finance Bill confirms that the Labour government is set to press ahead with its crippling inheritance agenda next year.
By Carla Lockhart MP July 23, 2025
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has welcomed a significant infrastructure investment of £3 million for the M1, secured after sustained pressure on the Department for Infrastructure to prioritise road upgrades in the local area.
By Carla Lockhart MP July 23, 2025
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart is urging greater awareness of the RADAR key scheme, which provides people with disabilities secure and independent access to locked public toilets across the UK. This renewed call comes after she was contacted by a local constituent struggling to access public facilities due to their disability.
By Carla Lockhart MP July 23, 2025
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has made an emotional and urgent appeal in Parliament on behalf of a young constituent living with Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare but devastating genetic disorder that is treatable only if diagnosed before symptoms appear.