The acquisition will continue a remarkable sales rise for M&P O’Sullivan over the past decade, with another 15% increase predicted for 2026. "In 2017 we had sales of around €22m, and this past year we hit €47.3m. We are budgeted to hit €54m next year, and this deal will be significant in driving business," director Eoin O’Sullivan told the Irish Examiner.

Under co-directors Patrick and Eoin O'Sullivan, M&P’s long-term growth strategy is to expand turnover to €75m by 2028. In the past six months it purchased two retail outlets, a Gala supermarket in Ballinhassig, Co Cork and a Spar supermarket in Kilcowen, Co Waterford, which has since been rebranded to Gala. Mr O’Sullivan said the company is in talks to purchase two more retail outlets as it continues its acquisition strategy.

Mr O’Sullivan said the company is “cautiously optimistic” about the recovery of the wider hospitality industry, “particularly in the quick-serve and takeaway restaurant sectors. We are hopeful that the return of the lower VAT rate, as promised in the Programme for Government, will support growth in this area.” “The last few years have been very testing and have been very difficult for some of our customers,” he said. “At the start of 2024, we saw around 40 of our well-established customer accounts close their business with us, and we have seen some consolidation across the hospitality industry also. But from what we are hearing on the ground, the outlook for this year is more positive.” The undisclosed deal for Biggs merges M&P O’Sullivan, which began trading 120 years ago, with one of the oldest companies in West Cork. Eoin O’Sullivan said the company had a long-established partnership with Biggs Catering and its director Jim O’Keeffe, who is a renowned figure in Bantry business and owns the renowned SuperValu supermarket in the town. The acquisition will also involve significant investment in Biggs’ delivery routes and distribution infrastructure.

“We are extremely excited about the opportunities this acquisition brings. Biggs is a fantastic company with a strong reputation in West Cork. By combining Biggs’ local expertise with M&P O’Sullivan’s extensive resources and commitment to innovation, we are confident in the bright future ahead.

“We have bigger demand than ever for our services in West Cork and we knew we had to make the move to increase our service levels and build on existing routes.” M&P O’Sullivan plans to increase delivery services on West Cork routes to six weekly. The Biggs branding will remain on the business in Bridge Street in Bantry and its six employees will remain on staff with the new owners.

“As we celebrate 120 years in business, this milestone makes the year even more special, reinforcing our commitment to building on our legacy while seizing new opportunities for growth,” said co-director Patrick O'Sullivan.

Based on Sarsfields Road in Cork city, M&P O'Sullivan is now under the stewardship of Eoin and Patrick O'Sullivan, the fourth generation of the family in the business. It operates a large fleet of more than 28 vehicles, delivering more than 15,000 product lines across various categories, including frozen, chilled, ambient, soft drinks, packaging, alcohol, food equipment, and catering supplies. The company is also a shareholder in Gala Retail Services, which oversees a network of more than 180 Gala stores, 30 franchisees, and 40 Your Stop locations across Ireland. M&P's holdings currently include the Irish Homestead, White Hat, Red Abbey, and Brennan’s Caterworld ranges.

A team of 115 employees supports M&P’s 3,000 customers from its multi-temperature warehouse on Sarsfield Road in Cork city.

Eoin O'Sullivan also confirmed that M&P O'Sullivan are investigation opportunities for incorporating artificial intelligence into the business in future as turnover increases.