Kerrygold Sales Exceed €1 Billion

Global sales of Kerrygold butter and dairy products have exceeded €1 billion in revenue per year, a first for an Irish food company.
The Irish Dairy Board – now Ornua – owns the internationally recognized Kerrygold brand, which is the number one brand in Germany, the now number-two butter brand in the United States, behind Land O’Lakes, and enjoys leading market share positions in many of its export markets. Pilgrims Choice – the number two cheese brand in the U.K. – is also one of their brands.

An Bord Bainne, a semi-state organization, was established by the Irish Government in 1961 “to promote and facilitate the exportation of milk and milk products from grass-fed cows.” In 1973, it became a limited cooperative – the Irish Dairy Board. On March 31, 2015, the board transformed its corporate identity from the Irish Dairy Board to Ornua, the name of which comes from the Irish ór nua, meaning “new gold.”

The company has grown immensely in the decades since its founding, with over 7.5 million packets of butter now being sold worldwide each week, but the recipe itself has not changed at all; it retains the same distinct, rich flavor.

Róisín Hennerty, Ornua’s foods managing director, said, “While Kerrygold holds a unique place in the hearts of the Irish people, we are especially proud that the brand has captured the hearts and imagination of consumers all over the world.”  ♦