In a way, the big surprise over the current rift between Ornua and Tirlán is that it has taken so long.

After all, it’s now seven years since the then Glanbia Ingredients Ireland launched its Truly Grass Fed butter into the US market.

This was seen by Ornua as a direct competitor to Kerrygold, the shining jewel of Irish dairy products for over 60 years. The fact the challenge was coming from Ornua’s biggest shareholder, the largest supplier of product into the co-op, only made it worse.

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The reality is that Truly Grass Fed never gained significant market penetration, so we never saw the opposing arguments as to the impact it would have on Kerrygold play out.

Those supportive of Ornua said it was unnecessary and dangerous, while people sympathetic to Tirlán countered that two premium Irish butter brands could reinforce their status as an elite product – a bit like Swiss cheese or French wine.

Truly Grass Fed butter would be marketed as an “aspirational, clean and ethical, unadulterated natural product” contrasting with Kerrygold’s “tradition, taste and quality metrics”, Tirlán claimed.

A rising tide lifting boats as opposed to swamping Kerrygold’s safe haven.

Interestingly, Tirlán priced its product in 2019 at $6.99 for 7oz (198g) “similar to Kerrygold” equating to $30/kg.

The new Kirkland butter, supplied by Tirlán to US supermarket giant Costco, will, I’m hearing, be retailing at half the current Kerrygold price.

It’s sobering to note that Kerrygold is currently retailing at $21, a significant fall in price since 2019.

That said, Kerrygold sales in the US have increased significantly and the brand is now worth over €1bn. No wonder Ornua is zealously protective of the brand.

Some of the justification being put forward by Tirlán is similar to the arguments made in 2019. With three billion litres of milk to process and product to sell annually, it’s easy to understand why Tirlán has been tempted.

While price is vital, volume is more an imperative for the constituent co-ops than it is for Ornua.

Will that be enough to protect Kerrygold from contagion? The fact that Costco has already opted to stop carrying Kerrygold in 60 branches across Texas is an early warning sign.

Now, for context, Costco is not like a SuperValu, Dunnes or Tesco. The stores are vast, with product sitting on pallets; it’s absolutely no frills. So perhaps this is not the future of Kerrygold in any event.

Perhaps the big question is what happens if, say, Walmart approaches Kinisla, Dairygold or Lakeland, looking for an own-brand Irish butter, willing to pay a decent price and promising a large volume of sales.

If milk price is poor, commodity markets are dull and margins are tight for processors and farmers alike, it won’t be easy to turn down.

This is just the beginning.