Carbery opened its doors to suppliers this week, showcasing the new state-of-the-art cheese plant.

In the region of 3,000 people comprising milk suppliers and their families are expected to pass through the facility.

Farmers had a chance to see their investment in the cheese diversification project, get an overview of the products made on site and gain an insight into Carbery’s global footprint through its flavours subsidiary Synergy.

It was very much a feast for the senses, with products to taste, aromas to smell and mozzarella to stretch.

Carbery chair Cormac O’Keeffe and CEO Jason Hawkins were on hand to speak to shareholders. Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, the CEO said: “We’re delighted to have our shareholders and their families visit this week and demonstrate to them the global business that’s based here in west Cork.

“Hopefully it will inspire the younger generations to get involved in future. It’s a great opportunity to walk them though this new state-of-the-art, fit-for-the-future, customer-centric research and development and production facility.”

Following a similar format to the 2018 event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the commencement of production at Ballineen, the focus this time was firmly on the new cheese facility.

Investment

The tour gave milk suppliers a chance to see the €78m investment for the first time.

Beginning operations in 2020, the facility allowed a 30% increase in capacity on site and the production facility produced 10,000t of mozzarella in 2021.

Having processed 612m litres of milk in 2021 and with limited scope for increasing milk volume in the region, Carbery’s focus on adding value to its products is likely to increase.

This has served west Cork’s dairy farmers well in the past an undoubtedly will play a large role in sustaining the business in the future.