My Job: Joe Brien overseeing the production of 80,000 tonnes of butter

Behind Kerrygold’s six decades of success

Joe Brien, Operations Director, Kerrygold Park, Mitchelstown, Cork

Name: Joe Brien

Occupation: Operations Director, Kerrygold Park, Mitchelstown, Cork

Background: Kerrygold Park is the manufacturing facility of the Kerrygold brand, producing a range of premium butter products for Irish and international markets.

Kerrygold Park, the home of Ireland’s first-ever billion-euro food brand, is a €80m state-of-the-art Kerrygold butter production and packing facility in Mitchelstown, Co Cork. Opened in September 2016, the production facility has a capacity of up to 80,000 tonnes of butter per annum.

As operations director, Joe Brien is responsible for the performance of the business and leading 170-employee team. “I also see my role as one of guardianship, protecting the brand, the quality it represents, and the culture we have worked hard to build here,” he explains.

“At Kerrygold Park, we are proud to be part of a success story built over more than six decades by Irish dairy farmers, member co-operatives, and Ornua working together. That collective effort brings a premium product to consumers at home and around the world who know and love the distinctive taste and trusted provenance of Irish grass-fed dairy. Everyone on site understands the contribution they make to protecting that legacy. That means maintaining exceptional standards, investing in our people, and continuously improving so that Kerrygold Park can continue to lead for generations to come.”

The 10th anniversary is a very significant milestone, with the site having gone from strength to strength over the last decade, responding to growing global demand for Kerrygold butter. It all began in 2016 with a team of 50. “Since then, we have continued to invest in our people, technology and operations. Today, we have a team of 170 and have doubled our capacity following a major expansion in 2023. That growth reflects the wider success of Kerrygold and the strength of Irish grass-fed dairy. Now, Kerrygold is the fastest growing butter brand globally, which gives all of us here immense pride.”

He adds that half of the original team are still with the company, having grown with the site and played a significant role in building the culture and capability that continues today.

As to what are the main challenges facing the dairy and food sector at the moment, Brien cites managing the pace and complexity of change as the biggest challenge. “Dairy and food businesses are operating in an environment shaped by market volatility, pressurised input costs, and supply-chain disruption. At the same time, particularly with a brand like Kerrygold, we have to manage those challenges without compromising on the quality, taste, and premium experience that our consumers expect. It comes back to getting the fundamentals right - producing safe, premium-quality food, operating efficiently, and competing effectively in global markets.”

Ireland has a natural advantage in its grass-based family farming system, he adds, but is an advantage that cannot be taken for granted. “It depends on the skill and care of generations of farmers and on maintaining the high standards that underpin consumer trust. Kerrygold brings that provenance together with the attributes consumers value - superior taste, a distinctive flavour profile, and its famous golden colour. Our job at Kerrygold Park is to protect those qualities while delivering consistently at scale.”

While Ornua has successfully been bringing Irish dairy products to global markets for over 60 years, it has navigated many periods of significant market volatility over the lifetime of the business. “Our global supply chain connectivity, trade expertise, diverse product portfolio, and strong relationships with customers allow us to remain agile while continuing to deliver for consumers and Irish dairy farmers.”

In recent years, its approach has become more data-led and integrated. “We work closely with colleagues across Ornua and our supply partners to anticipate demand, manage inventory, and maintain continuity while protecting quality. We also work to a strict specification for the cream used to make Kerrygold butter and pay a premium to our member co-operatives. That helps provide security and consistency of supply for us, while also supporting strong and dependable returns to co-ops, particularly during more volatile periods.”

Operating a state-of-the-art facility, Kerrygold Park uses advanced processing technologies, infrastructure, and automation to produce premium products with best-in-class efficiency. “Some of the technologies having the biggest operational impact include our fully autonomous chilled-storage facility, robotic palletisation, and our advanced cream-ageing process. We also use digital systems to monitor performance and strengthen our quality and safety controls. These technologies help us protect the characteristics that make Kerrygold butter distinctive, including its quality, taste, and consistency, while operating at the scale required to serve markets globally.”

The fundamental principles of making butter are the same today as they have been for hundreds of years, Brien says. “At Kerrygold Park, our aim is to combine the craft and artistry of butter-making with the best of modern technology and a science-led approach. Operating at the scale we do creates significant opportunities for advanced analytics and machine learning.”

These technologies help to optimise efficiency, lower costs, and maximise product quality. “Embracing smart manufacturing will continue to be key for us and we see a lot of opportunities in the areas of predictive maintenance, supply chain, and inventory analytics, as well as yield maximisation.” In terms of how sustainability targets are impacting operational decision-making at Ornua, he adds that using resources efficiently is a continued focus. “The technology and infrastructure we invest in allows us to improve efficiency while reducing our emissions intensity and use of resources.”

The site itself is located alongside Dairygold, one of Ornua’s member co-operatives, creating a short supply chain, with cream transferred directly by pipe rather than tanker. Wastewater is treated and sent to a shared anaerobic digester that generates gas used to provide a portion of the site’s energy. Circularity is therefore built into the way the site operates. Social sustainability is equally important, he believes. “Kerrygold is owned by Irish dairy farmers through our co-operative structure and supports the incomes of 14,000 dairy farming families. We also have a strong commitment to Mitchelstown and the surrounding area. Being a good neighbour means supporting local employment, reducing our environmental impact, and contributing to the community we are part of.” The company’s local partnerships include organisations such as Mitchelstown First Responders, Cancer Connect Cork, and FoodCloud.

Brien has worked in food and dairy for 30 years, having started straight out of school as a general operator in a meat processing factory. “Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough that people I’ve worked with saw something in me and gave me opportunities that perhaps others might not have. I have also had the opportunity to experience manufacturing from many different perspectives and to be part of many different teams, some very strong and others less so. Those experiences have helped me interpret complex situations quickly, see different points of view, and make the best decisions I can for the team and the business.”

As to what has been the most important leadership lesson he has learned over those decades, Brien is succinct: “People matter most. At the end of the day, it is the people around you who shape a business and its culture. Finding the right people and creating an environment where they can flourish.”