Freshways Team

Freshways is Ireland’s largest food-to-go manufacturer and handmade sandwich supplier — part of the Samworth Brothers group, commanding a third of the Irish sandwich market, with nationwide distribution and fresh stock six days a week. Behind that scale is a deliberate investment in the people who run it.

In 2024 and 2025, 15 Freshways employees across seven departments — Finance, Commercial, Continuous Improvement, Technical, Operations, Procurement and Engineering — completed accredited management training through a partnership with Ibec Academy, the training arm of Ibec, Ireland’s national body for business and employers. Five completed the Ibec Fast Trackers programme; ten completed the Managing People Certificate, delivered by trainer Nicky O’Brien.

“Our growth strategy depends on investing in our people and creating clear career-progression pathways. It’s part of our L&D strategy and succession planning — we want to continuously develop future leaders from within, to ensure business continuity and retain key talent.” — Emma-Jane Duffy, HR Manager

Three real stories of that in action:

Rebecca Daly started as a Production Operative on our manufacturing line. She’s now our Operations Supervisor, having completed the Ibec Fast Trackers programme in 2024.

“The Ibec Fast Trackers programme broadened my understanding of leadership, problem-solving and decision-making. It gave me the confidence to manage teams effectively and contribute to continuous operational improvements.” — Rebecca Daly, Operations Supervisor

Azeez Bakare joined as a Quality Assurance Officer. He’s now QA Supervisor, leading a team across our Technical Department, having completed the Managing People Certificate in 2025.

“The Certificate in Managing People programme gave me the confidence to transition successfully from an individual contributor to a people manager, ensuring high-quality standards across our Technical Department.” — Azeez Bakare, QA Supervisor

Aurimas Janauskas started as a General Operative. He’s now our Logistics Manager, having completed the Ibec Fast Trackers programme in 2024.

“The Ibec Fast Trackers programme supported my transition into senior management by developing my strategic thinking, communication and leadership capabilities.” — Aurimas Janauskas, Logistics Manager

We’re continuing the partnership with Ibec Academy into 2027, with a new Certified People Management Programme planned for the next cohort of emerging managers.

=====Read Ibec’s own write-up of the programme here======

Interested in where a role at Freshways could take you? See our current vacancies → Careers page