Sod turned on Glanbia’s €200m continental cheese facility in Kilkenny

The new facility will produce over 50,000 tonnes of continental cheese per year, with the first planned to be produced for global markets at the facility in 2024.

Representatives from Glanbia Co-op, Dutch dairy producer Royal A-ware, and the Irish Government this week took part in the turning of the sod at the site of a new continental cheese facility being built at Belview in Co. Kilkenny.

The facility, which is being built by Kilkenny Cheese Ltd, a joint venture between Royal A-Ware and Glanbia Co-op, will have a footprint of 18,000m2. 

It will produce over 50,000 tonnes of continental cheese per year, with the first planned to be produced for global markets at the facility in 2024.

John Murphy, chairman of Glanbia Co-op; Jan Anker, chief executive of Royal A-ware; Jim Bergin, chief executive of Glanbia Co-op; Tánaiste Leo Varadkar; and Minister Charlie McConalogue at the turning of the sod on the €200m cheese facility at Belview. Picture: Patrick Browne

The production facility will utilise approximately 450m litres of milk from Glanbia milk suppliers each year.

The new facility at Belview is expected to support the incomes of over 4,500 farm families, along with more than 400 jobs to be created during construction, and 80 jobs at the facility when opened.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said it is a “huge boost” for the region.

Jim Bergin, chief executive of Glanbia Co-op; Tánaiste Leo Varadkar; Minister Charlie McConalogue; and Jan Anker, chief executive of Royal A-ware at the turning of the sod on the €200m cheese facility at Belview. Picture: Patrick Browne

“The UK’s decision to leave the EU was a seismic event for Ireland’s agri-food sector and the over 163,000 people it employs here,” he said.

“Seven years on from the decision and two years on from when it took effect, the picture is more hopeful than we could ever have imagined.”

Glanbia Co-op chief executive Jim Bergin added that this week “marks a significant step on the road to diversifying our product offering post-Brexit”.

The joint venture was announced in January 2019 and scheduled for commissioning in 2022. Following a legal challenge, in which the overturning of planning permission was sought, the facility is set to commence production early in 2024.