The Little Milk Company shows it’s a big cheese in Dungarvan

With 23 awards under its belt, the Little Milk Company is going from strength to strength, writes Trish Dromey

Mon, 30 Nov, 2015 - 00:00

Trish Dromey

The Little Milk Company, in Dungarvan, has topped off a good year by winning the Irish Exporters’ Association’s ‘Emerging Exporter Award’ for 2015.

That is its 23rd award for organic cheeses in its three-year history, including a gold medal in France during the summer.

“We took gold at the Mondial du Fromage, which is also called the Cheese World Cup, and this, and other awards, have helped us develop exports to 11 countries,’’ says The Little Milk Company general manager, Conor Mulhall.

The company increased exports from 30% to 60% this year and developed new markets in the US, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates, hence this latest award.

“We now sell to 300 outlets in Ireland and have listings in over 1,000 stores across the world,” says Mr Mulhall.

The Little Milk Company was founded in 2012, when 10 organic dairy farmers added value to their milk by making cheese. Four years earlier, a group of organic milk producers had banded together to secure better prices.

In 2012, the 10 farmers invested in the company, buying milk supplies and signing a contract with a cheese-maker to produce cheddar and develop a brand, says Mr Mulhall, a businessman with experience in running a variety of companies.

He took on the role of general manager at the start of 2013.

Once the vintage cheddar was matured, it was sold into shops around Ireland. As with the assistance of Bord Bia, it toured food shows in Europe.

The market for organic cheese in Ireland is small and the company has focused on winning export markets.

In Germany, by contrast, organic products have become mainstream “and the market there grew by 9% last year,’’ says Mr Mulhall.

He discovered that opportunities for an Irish organic producer in Germany were especially good.

“Ireland is seen as clean and green, with rain and cows outdoors. With Irish organic dairy products, we were pushing an open door.”

The Little Milk Company sold its first cheese to Sheridan’s cheesemongers in April, 2013, and, following a visit to a German cheese show in February, shipped out its first exports to a German distributor in August, 2013.

By the end of the year, the company was selling to Tesco and Supervalu stores, as well as specialist food shops around Ireland.

Exports climbed to 5% of sales. “A ‘Best Organic Cheese Award’ at the British Cheese awards was a major boost, especially since we won it in the home of cheddar,” he says.

Attending more shows in Europe, The Little Milk Company developed sales in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK.

By the end of 2014, it was exporting to eight countries.

The company increased its product range with a brie and a rind-washed cheese in 2014.

It added a cream cheeses this year, to bring the number of products it sells to nine.

These are now produced under contract by five farmhouse cheese-makers around the country, but still use the four-million litres of organic milk produced by the farmers who own the company.

By the end of this year, Mr Mulhall expects sales overall to have grown by 25%.

Sales will likely grow 20% in the Irish market, where The Little Milk Company products have recently gone into Dunnes Stores.

Currently, Germany, followed by France, remain its largest markets, but Mr Mulhall sees strong growth opportunities in both the US and the UK next year.

It is now working on completing Christmas orders, the Little Milk Company has a busy 2016 schedule.

“We start with a show in the US in January, and will go to one in Germany in February, and one in France in March,’’ Mr Mulhall says.

The target for next year is to keep exports at a high level, at 60% and to double sales overall.

“Longer term, we are aiming for a turnover of €3m in three years,” he says.