Speciality cheeses drive Fivemiletown's fast growth

Sales of Fivemiletown Creamery's award winning soft cheeses increased five fold last year, making it the Northern Ireland company's best ever year.



The creamery saw substantial growth in sales of its brie, smoked brie and goats' cheese in all its target markets especially in Great Britain, where it now supplies major retailers such as Sainsbury, Asda, Tesco, Harrods and Harvey Nichols, and over 4,000 delis and farm shops.

The surge in sales produced an increase in turnover of over 50 per cent in the past 12 months and led to the creation of 10 new jobs at the company, which now sells around 70 per cent of products outside Northern Ireland.

In addition, Fivemiletown Creamery achieved significant growth in key export markets including Denmark and Sweden especially in sales of its unique Boilie marinaded goats' cheese pearls.

The creamery, Northern Ireland's only speciality cheese producer, also strengthened its market position in the Republic of Ireland through deals with major retailers including the Musgrave Group.

The quality and variety of Fivemiletown soft cheese also produced a series of top awards in the International Cheese Festival at Nantwich, the UK Great Taste Awards and most recently at the Mid Somerset Show in Wells.

Mervyn McCaughey, Fivemiletown Creamery's managing director, commenting on the company's performance, said: "The tremendous year that we've experienced is the direct result of an extensive investment in our marketing activities particularly in Great Britain.

"We now have a strong sales team and a network of over 30 wholesalers across the country. We've focused significant resources in particular on developing the brand and products in delis and farm shops.

"As a farmers' co-operative our focus is on providing a good return to the 60 dairy farmers in the Clogher Valley who provide us with the consistently high protein milk that we require for our speciality cheese. The success has enabled us to maintain the highest prices for milk paid to farmers in Northern Ireland over the past year. The greater our success, the more the farming community in Tyrone and Fermanagh benefits," he added.

Established in 1898, Fivemiletown Creamery currently employs 80 people.