Tirlán colleagues from China visited Ireland last month, with seven of the nine team members visiting the country for the first time

The purpose of the trip was for our Shanghai based colleagues to experience first-hand where and how the products they sell in-market are produced from the land we live and love.

A busy schedule saw the team tour our Collaboration Hub at Abbey Quarter where they also presented a half yearly report to Chief Operating and Consumer Officer, Jim O’Neill, and met with members of the HR team.

Tirlan’s Chinese Office Manager Eugene Shan told Overherd, “Everyday in Ireland was so fresh and exciting and the Abbey Quarter office is filled with information that my team members had never seen before on websites and promotional videos. Thank you to all colleagues at the Collaboration Hub for their warm welcome and the building tour. I’ve lots of gratitude for working in this loving and positive company.”

Abbey Quarter based colleagues welcomed the China Team to Kilkenny

With China being Tirlán’s main market for UHT Cream, a trip to our Lough Egish facility was a must on the itinerary and the team also visited a UHT supplier farm while in County Monaghan.

Assistant Marketing Manager Anne Chen said of her visit to Monaghan, “Visiting our herding farm nearby Lough Egish was one of the astonishing experiences, tracing milk and cream from origin and seeing the grass to glass lifecycle. Seeing rearing conditions and process of milking certainly boosts our confidence to promote ideas of high and natural quality of Avonmore dairy products!”

The team tours Tirlán’s Lough Egish Facility

Following their trip to the border county, the team were down south again at Tirlan’s Ballyragget facility and Innovation Centre where they received a butter and cheddar production site tour and also met with the R&D team to learn more about Tirlán’s Milk, Cream, Cheese, Butter and Oat Categories.

The team toured the Ballyragget Butter & Cheddar production sites

On the team’s final day in Ireland, they rounded off their Tirlán experience by visiting our Oat Mill in Portlaoise and by visiting a retail store where they got to see an impressive array of Tirlán products for sale at Tesco Extra in Naas.

Surmising their trip to Ireland and everything they experienced, Eugene told us, “Everything is so fresh and beautiful. Before arriving, I heard that the weather often rained, but during our visit, except for the short half day of rain, everything else was very sunny. The food, air, weather and all the colleagues we met made us have a very unforgettable and beautiful week.” Anne said: “I was deeply impressed by stunning natural scenery of Ireland, even in urban areas can enjoy free and clean air.”

Tirlán wins eight medals at prestigious International Cheese & Dairy Awards, including gold for plant-based cheese

Top-quality cheddar produced at Tirlán’s Wexford and Ballyragget plants has won eight medals at this year’s International Cheese & Dairy Awards held in the UK recently, beating competition from over 5,000 international entries.

Among the top prizes won by Tirlán at the prestigious awards were gold in the Longest Vegan Stretch Cheese competition and the Volac trophy for the Best Medium Creamery Block Cheddar.

Garry Sheehan, Product Manager, Plant-based Cheese, said his Plant Hub Teammates were thrilled to win gold in the Longest Vegan Stretch category. “This is the first time we’ve entered our vegan cheese in any awards and to win a gold medal on our first outing is phenomenal.

“We launched our plant-based cheese concept for pizzas in December 2021. Oat-Standing™ Plant-Based Grated Pizza Mix has been developed specifically for use on pizza. It is an excellent plant-based alternative to give consumers a cheese-like experience.

“We knew ourselves that we had a good product. But to win this award is a huge boost to the entire plant-based team and an incredible seal of approval from the international judging panel.”

Gerry Warren is a Tirlán Cheese Grader. He said the judges commented that the texture and flavour of Tirlán cheddar really stood out. This, he says, is down to the top-quality milk supplied by Tirlán’s dedicated farm families. It helps them produce the highest quality, sustainable, grass-fed cheeses which win awards year after year.

Gerry said: “We are delighted to have achieved such a strong performance at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards yet again this year. We were once again up against stiff competition from other leading cheddar producers to win three gold, four silver and one bronze medal.

“We take great pride in what we do and it shows in the awards we’ve won again this year. We continue to strive for excellence. Our talented teams in both Rocklands in Wexford and in Ballyragget, Co Kilkenny played a huge role in these wins. They must be commended for their attention to detail every day. This ensures that we deliver top-quality cheddar for our valued customers.”

The Wexford branch is the first of 52 to be revamped under €11m investment programme

Tirlán CountryLife in Bunclody officially marked the opening of its doors recently following a major refurbishment and is the first in Tirlán’s 52-strong branch network to benefit from an €11 million plus investment programme.

Along with significant store design renovations, the store footprint has been extended by 500 square feet, making way for an additional 2,000 new product lines. Cutting the ribbon and officially opening the doors of the remodelled branch, Tirlán Chairperson, John Murphy said the investment is a clear demonstration of our co-operative’s commitment to deliver on its promise to invest in rural Ireland and improve vital services in the communities we serve.

Tirlán Chairperson John Murphy cuts the ribbon at the official opening of the Tirlán CountryLife Store in Bunclody

Tirlán CountryLife in Bunclody was the pilot branch for the comprehensive store investment programme announced by Tirlán earlier this year. The exceptional customer experience that has been created in this concept store, for both farming and garden centre customers, will now be replicated across our network of branches over the next four to five years.

Tirlán plans to transform its branch network and achieve a completely new look to meet the evolving needs of the towns, villages and rural communities we serve, John Murphy said.

“This branch, like so many more, is part of the fabric of this local community. This investment signifies the Co-op’s commitment to playing its part in enriching the lives of those living and working in this community. Tirlán is committed to developing a modern network of stores that service the evolving needs of farmers and the communities we serve,” he said.

Watch: Video of official opening of Tirlán CountryLife in Bunclody

Mark Morrisey, Store Manager, said the branch has never been busier and thanked customers who continued to support the business as the renovations were underway. “This comprehensive revamp took a little over three months to complete. We thank our loyal customers for their patience. We have futureproofed our presence in Bunclody with this investment. It is a clear indication of our longstanding commitment to farmers, to the people of Wexford and to this community.

“We’re delighted with the new shop layout, new flooring, shelving, extra cashier desks – one dedicated specifically to our farming customers. The new coffee dock adds another dimension to the store and we’re seeing lots of garden centre customers grab a coffee while they browse. This is the first time Tirlán has added this service to any store.

“Our extended garden centre has allowed for an increased range of plants in particular, along with more inspiration for budding gardeners,” he said.

While work has now concluded in Bunclody, phase one of renovations in Castlelyons Co. Cork and in Athboy Co. Meath have already been completed. Phase 2 in both stores is due to get underway soon.

In addition, work is beginning this month in one of Tirlan’s Kildare branches in the town of Monasterevin. It will be transformed under a programme of significant renovations. Tirlán’s largest store and garden centre development to date is planned for its branch in Ashford, Co. Wicklow. This work is expected to begin later this year.

Planning work is well underway for a number of further store upgrades in 2024, which will see the farmer-owned cooperatives branch network further transformed.

UCD’s DiTECT project aspires to establish the foundation for future food safety monitoring platforms through data collected in real-time via cost-efficient sensors

Tirlán is proud to be the sole industry partner from Ireland in an EU/China project that brings together research, industrial and food authority partners to make food safer and more sustainable for all.

Tirlán’s role in the project focuses on using imagery to rapidly detect or monitor moisture content and any potential microplastics in food dairy products, ultimately making it more sustainable as promised under the Living Proof sustainability strategy.

The cheese plant in Ballyragget is the testbed for examining variation and develop specific product models for moisture detection through rapid image analysis. They are also looking at microplastic detection methods in dairy powder spikes.

Food Science Analyst, James Anyange, originally hails from Kenya and he works on the joint European / Chinese project in conjunction with UCD. While much of his laboratory work is conducted from his base in UCD working with Prof Colm O’Donnell and Prof Ming Zhao, James has visited Abbey Quarter in Kilkenny on a number of occasions and been to Ballyragget to check on the production process.

James’ appointment is a prime example of how Tirlán is looking outward and really thinking outside the box to attract talent. There are 21 EU partners on this project and Tirlán is the only Irish industry partner. Looking to the future, the work on this project from a food safety to a microplastics viewpoint, very much helps Tirlán deliver on its ESG strategy.

James told Overherd, “I came to Ireland in 2021 to complete my Masters in Food Engineering. I spotted this role on LinkedIn following a recommendation from my supervisor in UCD. I started in April. From day one I was made feel very welcome, very much at home.

Pictured at Abbey Quarter are from left, Prof. Colm O’Donnell UCD DiTECT Project Lead, Dr. Ming Zhao, UCD Postdoctoral Researcher, James Anyange and Joe Tierney, Tirlan’s Head of Regulatory and Food Safety

“Some companies will talk about diversity and inclusion. Tirlán lives by it. There is a great sense of collaboration and teamwork on this project. You are instantly part of a team, no matter where you come from in the world. The townhall meetings are great and it’s an environment in which people’s views are heard and are respected.

“I have Kenyan friends who are studying in Ireland, some in the areas of food safety, others in finance. I’d definitely recommend living and working in Ireland to them. There is a strong collaborative culture here.”