Northern Ireland: Glens of Antrim Potatoes Enters Administration, 95 Jobs Lost
Key takeaways
- 95 staff at Glens of Antrim Potatoes lose their jobs
- 21 September 2026: administrators appointed, trading ends
- 1972: year the Co. Antrim potato packer was founded
- 2018: year the company launched its hand-cooked crisps
Why it matters
- For farmers
- Growers who supplied the company should contact the administrators early and look for alternative buyers before crops go to store.
- For processors
- Local supply may become available at short notice; packers and processors in Ireland can offer contracts to affected growers.
- For traders
- Expect extra Northern Irish potatoes seeking a home this autumn, which may weigh on local free-buy prices.
60-second summary
A long-standing potato business in Northern Ireland has gone under. Glens of Antrim Potatoes, which packed potatoes for supermarkets across Ireland and since 2018 also made hand-cooked crisps, entered administration on 21 September and stopped trading. Nearly all of its 95 employees have been made redundant. Interpath, the administrator, blames several years of rising input costs, which drained the company's cash flow; refinancing and new investment were tried but failed. The biggest open question concerns the farmers who grew for the company, as part of this season's crop is still in the field and must now find another buyer during harvest. The farm union UFU plans urgent talks with retailers to put local potatoes first. The number of affected growers has not been disclosed. The collapse comes as drought has already cut UK potato yields and raised costs this season.
Glens of Antrim Potatoes, a potato packer and crisp maker in Northern Ireland, has entered administration and stopped trading. Almost all of its 95 staff have been made redundant.
Stuart Irwin, Ian Leonard and Robin Coughlin of the advisory firm Interpath were appointed joint administrators on 21 September 2026, the farm news site Agriland reported on 22 September.
Fifty years in the potato business
The family company was set up in 1972 in the Glens of Antrim. It grew and packed potatoes for supermarkets and other grocery chains across Ireland. In 2018 it started to make hand-cooked crisps under the Glens of Antrim Crisps brand.
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The business worked from two sites in Co. Antrim: Cushendall and Ballymena.
Rising costs hit cash flow
In a statement quoted by Agriland, the administrators said the agri-food sector has faced rising input costs for several years. These pressures had “a significant and detrimental impact” on the company’s cash flow.
The directors looked at refinancing and new investment. With no solvent option available, they asked for administrators to be appointed. After the appointment the company ceased to trade. A small team remains to support the administrators.
Growers wait for answers
The company bought potatoes from local growers. Agriland reported that some of these growers have not yet harvested this season’s crop. How many growers are affected, and how much of the 2026 crop was grown for the company, has not been made public.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) said on 23 September that the loss will be felt by staff, growers and businesses across the supply chain. Deputy President Clement Lynch said the union will seek urgent meetings with retailers. “We will be seeking urgent meetings with retailers to discuss how they can prioritise locally grown potatoes and support our growers during this period,” he said.
The collapse comes in a difficult season for potatoes in the UK and North-West Europe, where heat and drought have cut yields and raised costs.
Why it matters
Northern Ireland has lost one of its established potato packers and a local crisp brand. Growers who planted for the company must now find other buyers for this year’s crop, in the middle of harvest. The case shows that high input costs can break a business even in a year of short supply.
Photo: The Glens of Antrim Potatoes depot on Middle Park Road, Cushendall, Co. Antrim (illustrative, older image). Eric Jones / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
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What next
The administrators will look at options for the assets. The UFU is seeking meetings with retailers; the number of affected growers is not yet known.
Sources
- Agriland — Rising costs push Northern Ireland potato company into administration (22 Sept 2026) — https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/rising-costs-push-northern-ireland-potato-company-into-administration/
- Ulster Farmers' Union — UFU statement on Glens of Antrim (23 Sept 2026) — https://www.ufuni.org/ufu-statement-on-glens-of-antrim/
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