Cahill's Cheese
More than half of Cahill’s Cheese is exported as far away as the UK, France, the USA, Australia and even Japan, but it all started on a farm in Newcastlewest 30 years ago.
The company – which won a gold and bronze medal at Blas in 2012 – was established by Dave and Marion Cahill in the early ’80s.
“My father had a dairy science qualification from UCC and my mum was a housewife. They had six children at the time and they just decided to make cheese as a commercial entity,” says Helen Cahill, the seventh child in the family, who left her job as a solicitor three years ago to join the family business.
Fergal Quinn was an early advocate and, indeed, Cahill’s Ballintubber cheddar with chives remains a staple in 24 Superquinn stores today, following their rebranding to SuperValu. But since Helen’s brother Dan took over in 2006, investing in excess of €500,000 in a purpose-built facility, the business has entered a new phase, with a 12.5% increase in exports last year, helped largely by sales to Australia, and a turnover of just under €3 million. Cahill’s employs 10 staff and while the family farm is now in dry stock, they enjoy a long-standing relationship with their local creamery.
The two Blas awards in 2012 were for the Ballintubber range that they supply seasonally to Aldi (gold for Ballintubber cheddar with garlic and herbs and bronze for Ballintubber with chives) and Helen believes the titles do make a difference when it comes to doing business.
“When you’re dealing with supermarkets and they have so many Irish cheesemakers to choose from, it’s good to have something that stands you apart from everybody else,” she says. “And when you win a gold medal, it’s independent verification that you’re as good as you say you are.”
Cahill’s Cheese also enjoys relationships with SuperValu, Dunnes, Tesco and Lidl through its Deluxe range, the latter of which led to a major order from Lidl Denmark and Lidl Sweden as part of an Irish promotion earlier this year. They also work with Pallas Foods and will be launching new products before the end of this year, with ambitious plans for further Asian growth in 2015. Most recently, they added to their Blas wins with a gold and silver at the International Cheese Awards.
“We’re a very small team and it gives you a great sense of pride to bring home a medal,” says Helen. “You just have that sense that you’re doing something right.”
For more, visit www.cahillscheese.ie
Couverture Desserts
Couverture Desserts might have started in sisters Geraldine and Margaret Lynch’s kitchen in Rathgar in 1998, but today the company employs 25 people, holds 10 Blas na hÉireann awards and most recently started exporting its premium products to the United Arab Emirates.
Marketing manager Celine Hayes English, who joined Couverture as a shareholder in 1999, explains how the company first started by supplying hotels and restaurants.
“It was very difficult to get hold of pastry chefs,” she says, “the Celtic Tiger was kicking in and there was a need for premium desserts out there.”
Contracts soon followed with the likes of Aer Lingus, but three years ago Couverture began working with Musgraves on the SuperValu Supreme range and last October they launched 14 products as part of the Signature Taste brand.
“I think what really caught SuperValu’s eye,” says Celine, “was that we had taken a product that was very strong with chefs and food service, which was our mini dessert section, and we offered the same restaurant-quality desserts to the retailer.”
Couverture has also partnered with Musgrave Excellence to supply the food service market – you might taste their desserts at the Aviva Stadium or the Galway races, as well as various hotels – and this Christmas they will launch five new desserts in Tesco. The company is on target for reaching a turnover of €3.5 million in 2015 and focused on growing the business to €10 million within the next three years. They are currently working with Enterprise Ireland on capital expenditure, growing the market and exporting to the UK. In the UK, they already supply Budgens and are now working with Bagel Bar in the UAE.
“It is an emerging market and because our products are frozen with a long shelf life, they’re ideal,” says Celine, who lists Couverture’s best-sellers as apple and custard crumble, sticky toffee pudding and the chocolate billionaire.
And with 10 Blas awards under their belt – including three golds, most recently for their ME (Musgrave Excellence) assiette mini dessert selection – Celine is definite about the importance of the awards.
“There are other awards,” she acknowledges, “but Blas supports local suppliers in a bigger way. I think it’s just gathering momentum and kudos every year.”
For more information, visit www.couverture.ie
Blas na hÉireann Awards
Voted the number one“foodie town” in Ireland this year, Dingle will prove what all the fuss is about by offering a feast for the senses at the Dingle Peninsula Food Festival (3-5 October). In addition to the Blas na hÉireann awards, there’s the ever-popular taste trail in 80 establishments around town, an appearance by Irish Country Living’s very own Neven Maguire, Mad Hatter cocktails from milliner Kathleen McAuliffe, the inaugural Dingle culinary pentathlon, a craft beer and cider event, food fair, free activities for children, demos, workshops and more. Visit www.dinglefood.com and href="http://www.irishfoodawards.com/" target="_blank">www.irishfoodawards.com