Ireland at PLMA
Article appeared in issue 3, 2022
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A host of exciting, innovative and experienced Irish food and drink companies are exhibiting at PLMA’s annual ‘World of Private Label’ international trade show at the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 31 to June 1. Visit Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board) in hall 5, Stand #F-6455, to learn how these fantastic producers can support your private label ambitions.
ABC Nutritionals
ABC Nutritionals manufactures sports nutrition, weight management, and health and wellness nutritional products at its facility in Co. Clare, Ireland. Research and development have played a critical part in the evolution and success of the company. ABC Nutritionals exports over 93% of its output to 18 countries around Europe, Turkey, Asia and the Middle East. Its target market includes health food stores, current distributors of sports nutrition products or health nutrition products, brand owners of health or sports nutrition products, as well as major online retailers of food and nutritional products. All products made by ABC Nutritionals are bespoke, offering customers a unique range of products under their own brand. ABC Nutritionals feels this model of business affords customers the flexibility to create their own hero products that generates brand value, as well as a unique selling point in the marketplace. ABC Nutritionals manufactures all types of sports nutrition products and health and wellness products in powder, capsule, and dried complete meal formats. These are available in
tubs, pouches, sachets, pots, and bulk packaging for further processing or direct to sale.
www.abcnutritionals.com
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Butlers Chocolates
Founded in 1932 and celebrating its 90th birthday this year, Butlers Chocolates is Ireland’s premier family-owned firm, dedicated to the craft of exceptional chocolate making. The company is known and celebrated around the globe for its beautifully presented and exceptional-tasting chocolates. Butlers Chocolates produce a comprehensive range of chocolate and confectionery products in many different sizes and formats, including luxury boxed collections, truffles with famous liqueurs, solid and filled chocolate bars and sharing packs. Butlers Chocolates is dedicated to challenging the issues of sustainability, as well as reducing energy inputs, minimising the carbon footprint and lessening the environmental impact. It uses only sustainably sourced cocoa. www.butlerschocolates.com
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East Coast Bakehouse
Established in 2016, East Coast Bakehouse is one of Europe’s most modern, large-scale biscuit manufacturing facilities. Located in Drogheda, Co. Louth, its British Retail Consortium (BRC) AA+ status bakehouse includes a fully integrated 400m production with an 80m-long oven and a packing line that caters for a variety of formats. It works closely with numerous major retailers to produce a variety of private label biscuits, while also providing contract manufacturing solutions for brand owners. Its production capabilities include cookies, plain sweet biscuits, indulgent chocolate-coated biscuits, vegan cookies, sugar-free cookies and protein-enriched snacks. Having recently been awarded gold membership of Bord Bia’s Origin Green programme, the company consistently works towards the highest sustainability standards.
www.eastcoastbakery.com
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Folláin
Folláin has been producing fresh fruit jams, marmalades, relish and chutney with 100% natural ingredients since 1983. The company was established by Mairín and Peadar O’Lionaird in Co. Cork, using traditional home recipes. Building on a modest beginning which involved preparing the fruit by hand and cooking in kitchen-style conditions, Folláin has today increased its range of jams and marmalades, and its manufacturing capabilities to become a market leader and a manufacturer of a diverse range of premium and natural fruit preserves, and savoury sauces and condiments.
The name ‘Folláin’ is a word from the Irish language that means wholesome, and this ethos and passion for creating wholesome and natural food is at the core of its commitment to product creation. Folláin's commitment to natural and wholesome food has led to the introduction of its no-added-sugar or ‘Nothing But Fruit’ range of products, which has won many awards both nationally and internationally. Folláin operates from a modern, purpose-built manufacturing facility that offers both efficient production and bespoke innovation and product development, providing customers with new, exciting and diverse product offerings, all available in the Folláin brand, and with an extensive catalogue of private label retail products, and foodservice formats.
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Fusco Foods
Fusco Foods is a family-owned and run business specialising in hand-crafted cakes and desserts. It specialises in both branded and private label products. In the Irish market, it manufactures private label hand-rolled meringue cream roulades for Lidl, SuperValu and Dunnes Stores. Outside of Ireland, customers include Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Aldi, Detailresult (all in Holland), Lidl (Romania and Sweden), Foodstuffs (Pams brand) in New Zealand, Jacobs in Norway and Coles, Australia. Among the awards it has won in the last number of years are 22 Great Taste Awards. In 2018, it won a Royal Tasmanian medal for its Sicilian Lemon Roulade, and in 2021, a PLMA award for the SuperValu Raspberry and White Chocolate Roulade. It has AA BRC accreditation for all production including its new 3,500m square facility as well as being signatories to Sedex, RSPO and UTZ certified.
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Future Nutrition
Future Nutrition is a private label formulation, development and manufacturing partner, fully focused on developing the best tasting functional beverages and ready-to-mix powders. Future Nutrition specialises in four market segments: sports nutrition, active nutrition, health and wellness, and gaming. The company’s facility is accredited by Informed Sport and ISO 22000:2018, alongside being a member of ESSNA and Origin Green, Ireland’s food and drink sustainability programme. Future Nutrition is a family business, spanning four generations and prides itself on product quality, innovation and service. Established in 2010, the company is located on the same original site as its sister company, Donohoe Drinks, that has developed, manufactured and bottled spirits, beers and soft drinks since 1876. Future Nutrition has grown from a fast-paced start-up to a global functional beverage manufacturer, working with some of the largest brands across the globe. Its trademark agility allows it to work with small, medium and large clients.
www.futurenutrition.ie
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Glanbia Ireland
Glanbia Ireland is a world-class, integrated agri-food and nutrition business, with a diverse portfolio of quality ingredients and leading consumer and agri-brands. The organisation has a first-class track record of success in the global market.​ Rooted in a rich heritage of family farming and embedded in its communities, Glanbia Ireland has evolved to bring the passion of its farmers, with their high-quality ingredients, to the international marketplace. Using modern-day technology and applying the best processes to its milk pool of three billion litres, Glanbia Ireland now exports to more than 80 countries. The company nurtures a talented team of over 2,000 people to manage its network of 11 production facilities, serving its communities and delivering annual revenues of around €2 billion.​ Glanbia Ireland is passionate about nature’s goodness. Working in tandem with its farmers and their herds of grass-fed cows, it has helped to redefine modern dairy in Ireland and delivered the award-winning Avonmore brand. Avonmore produces a range of premium dairy products to cater for a wide variety of consumer and foodservice needs. Its international product range includes cheese, butter, milk powder, UHT milk and UHT cream. Determined that its naturally tasty dairy should be enjoyed all over the world, Glanbia Ireland’s range of products has ensured it is a leader in the international marketplace.
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Glenhaven Foods
Glenhaven Foods is one of Ireland’s largest processors of value-added chicken products, supplying both retail and foodservice with a wide range of private label, and its Glenhaven-branded products such as shredded chicken, nuggets, chunks, fillets and Kievs. The company is expert in coating systems and meat preparation, and in recent months has development meat-free products to ensure it’s aligned to the key food trends and to stay relevant with its consumers. Established in 1986, Glenhaven has experienced strong organic growth for the past 36 years. It employs 165 colleagues and all on permanent contracts, helping it to maintain high manufacturing standards, with years of experience and knowledge being passed down to all the new people who join the team. Its purpose-built facility comprises of two separate manufacturing sites, covering 71,000 sq. ft. The company has the capability to supply both flash-fried and fully-cooked products. Glenhaven Foods operates very high technical standards and continues to invest in kit and capability. It has successfully maintained BRC AA GRADE standard and continues to strengthen its quality and food safety systems. It’s a member of Origin Green and Sedex. It operates an allergen reduction/clean dec policy. Wheat gluten-only allergen is used within its coating systems. Glenhaven was awarded Halal accreditation in 2020. A new, state-of-the-art innovation kitchen gives the NPD team the opportunity to trial new technologies, experiment with flavours and coatings. Located in Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Glenhaven Foods is 100% Irish-owned and has strong links to the UK and across the EU. www.glenilenfarm.com
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Good4U
Good4U was established in 2004 and is owned and managed by the Butler family in Sligo, Ireland. The business began when the family combined their love of nature and food to create award-winning, super-nutritious, tasty snacks and toppers. Over time, Good4U has grown its plant-based range to include roasted bean Super Snacks and Protein Balls, kids’ Nutri Balls and an ever-growing range of fan-favourite salad toppers and breakfast boosts. All products are 100% natural, with no added sugar, are free from additives and preservatives, high in fibre and protein, and gluten and nut-free. Good4U can be found on the shelves of many major retailers in the UK, Ireland and other European markets. As a Bord Bia Origin Green-verified member, Good4U is passionate about achieving its sustainability goals. Good4U operates to the highest AA BRC standards, placing quality at the forefront of everything it does.
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Golden Bake
Established in 1987, Golden Bake has been producing high-quality frozen bakery products in Dublin for over 30 years, specialising in puff pastry products.
It produces private label products for the in-store bakery market, along with products for the take-home freezer aisle, which are available in branded or private label. Currently, Golden Bake supplies leading retailers, foodservice companies and food manufactures across Ireland, the UK, the US, and the UAE.
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Glenilen Farm
Glenilen Farm is a family-run business set up by husband and wife, Alan and Valerie Kingston. The farm, based in Drimoleague, West Cork, produces yoghurt, cheesecakes and country butter, as well as a range of other high-quality grass-fed dairy products, using milk from their own and neighbouring farms. Due to the unique fresh taste and uncomplicated goodness of Glenilen Farm’s yoghurt, the brand is one of the leading Irish yoghurt brands in Ireland with over 20% of its business also in the UK and Northern Ireland market. Alan’s family has been farming for generations and in 1997 Alan and Valerie decided to focus on adding further value to their milk. With an entrepreneurial mind-set and a passion for innovation, Valerie took advantage of the abundant milk supply by making homemade cheesecake for the local country market. Since then, Glenilen Farm has grown into a flourishing business that continues to hold true to its values of making a range of great tasting dairy products using a few simple ingredients. Glenilen Farm is also a food tourism destination where visitors can see yoghurt being made on the farm. Alan spends his time making yoghurt most days, while Valerie develops new recipes. The couple work hard to ensure that their products remain authentic, fresh and contain as few ingredients as possible. This ethos has been applied to their natural yoghurt range, which is made with a few simple ingredients and bursting with bio live cultures and real fruit. The brand also partners with leading retailers, commercialising unique and quality yoghurt ranges. The yoghurts are available in stockists across Ireland and the UK including Tesco, Dunnes Stores, SuperValu, Lidl, Aldi and Waitrose and Sainsburys in the UK.
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Goodness Grains
Goodness Grains is a family-owned and run company, set up in 2013 to bring quality gluten-free bakery products to initially the coeliac consumer and, increasingly, the mainstream markets in Ireland, the UK and Europe. Its 20,000 sq. ft purpose-built, dedicated gluten-free facility is one of the largest gluten-free bakeries in Ireland and UK. The BRC ‘AA’ graded facility has on-site freezing capabilities and a world-class traceability system. Its product range comprises gluten-free breads and bagels, muffins and baked goods (cakes, scones, tartlets). The entire range is available in formats suitable for both retail and foodservice. Consumer needs drives new product development and allows the company to bring new unique products to the category, such as its Viennoiserie range of gluten-free croissants and Danish pastries. Goodness Grains supplies both retail and foodservice ranges to the Irish and UK markets and a number of European markets. The company can supply its branded product range or work with customers to develop products for their brand. Goodness Grains’ commitment to sustainable production is enforced by its verified membership of Bord Bia’s Origin Green sustainability programme. Goodness Grains ships internationally and its main export markets at present are the UK and Europe. It’s looking to expand into the USA, Australia, and the UAE.
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Kelly’s Bakery
Kelly’s Bakery manufactures doughnuts at its facility in Wexford. Research and development have played a critical part in the evolution and success of the company. Kelly’s are currently exporting to the UK and are looking to expand into Europe. The company’s target customer includes frozen food distributors as well as major retailers of food products. All products made by Kelly’s Bakery are bespoke, offering customers a unique range of products under their own brand. Kelly’s Bakery feels this model of business affords customers the flexibility to create their own hero products. This generates brand value, as well as providing a unique selling point in the marketplace. Kelly’s Bakery manufactures all types of doughnut products in multiple shapes and sizes. These are available frozen, for further processing, or direct to sale.
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Loughnane’s
Sean Loughnane’s of Galway is a specialist producer of sausages and black and white pudding – in chilled, frozen, raw or pre-cooked formats – for both own label retail and foodservice markets. The company is expert at developing bespoke products for its own label clients. The company’s experience in making quality Irish sausages and puddings spans four generations of butchers from 1934. The business continues to adjust to the ever-changing marketplace through its innovative products. New product development is also at the centre of the company’s future plans. In 2019, Loughnane’s launched a sustainably-sourced, chilled food brand – GLAS. The company saw an opportunity to leverage its years of experience in food production to bring a positive change to consumers’ diets and the environment. The GLAS brand was quickly followed by the evolution of the Rudd’s brand into plant-based breakfast meats consisting of meat-free black and white puddings, as well as sausages and rashers. As the plant-based market changed, so did Loughnane’s, recently developing and launching their Sons of Butchers brand. Sons of Butchers ties in the company’s core values and butchery heritage, with a modern take on the plant-based meat industry. The SOB range includes everything from meatballs to mince, with all the taste and textures of traditional meat. Loughnane’s mission is to make tasty, nutritious and versatile go-to meal options for conscious and convenience-driven consumers. Loughnane’s are tackling the meat-free market with a product range that is born from an appreciation of ingredients, texture, and flavour.
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Manning’s Bakery
Manning’s Bakery Ltd is a leading manufacturer of private label goods in Ireland. Since its establishment in 1990, the company has focused on developing high quality products for its customers in Ireland, the UK, the US, France, and Spain. Manning’s manufactures both frozen part-baked breads and pastry products, a combination that is unique to the bakery industry in Ireland. This range of products gives Manning’s a competitive advantage and facilitates a high level of cross selling with its customers. The company’s core competencies are across yeast breads, traditional soda breads, rolls, pies, tarts and Pastel de Nata. Many of its products can be adapted for key seasonal events such as Christmas and Easter. Manning’s has also launched a retail 4 x Pack Pastel de Nata, which sells in the frozen dessert section of the freezer cabinet under private label, or under its own sub brand, Carmen’s. Manning’s has the capacity to supply international retailers, and the versatility to adapt to the latest food and consumers trends. Its full-time NPD team is currently seeking out bespoke, regional specific recipes to drive the growth of its own brand range.
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Silver Pail Dairy
Silver Pail Dairy manufactures a wide range of high-quality ice cream products at its facility in Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland. High quality and locally sourced ingredients have been key pillars in the success of its business to date. Its expertise in research and development has also played a critical part in the evolution and success of the company and its customer base. Exports account for over 65% of its total output to more than 12 countries around Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania. Its customer product portfolios in these markets include a wide range of both retail and foodservice packaged formats. All of the products made by Silver Pail Dairy are tailored to customers’ recipes, offering them a unique range of products under their own brand. The team at Silver Pail Dairy believe this model of business affords customers the flexibility to create their own hero products which generate brand value, as well as a unique selling point in the marketplace.
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