Sales potted as Bryan’s luxury yoghurt comes out on top!

And the deal with leading German discounter Lidl for 300 of its stores in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is a massive boost for Clandeboye general manager Bryan Boggs as he gears up for the completion of a new state-of-the-art processing plant that’s scheduled to start turning out hundreds of thousands of pots of the award-winning creamy yoghurt in June.

The new plant, also located on the huge country estate, is the realisation of Bryan’s dream to expand capacity to meet the growing demand from retailers across Ireland and Great Britain for his tasty natural, Greek style and fruit flavoured desserts.

As well as Lidl, Clandeboye has developed into one of most successful artisan food producers here with sales to high profile supermarkets across the island of Ireland including Aldi Ireland, another top German discounter, as well as hundreds of smaller grocers and delis.

The new factory will enable Clandeboye to quadruple production of its range of award-winning luxury yoghurts using fresh milk from the historic estate’s own

pedigree Jersey/Holstein herd.

“The yoghurt business was founded on a commitment to add value to the milk from our award-winning herd and to use it to create a successful food business that would help to sustain the picturesque estate well into the future and also provide new employment opportunities for local people,” Bryan explains.

The expansion, which is being assisted by Invest Northern Ireland, will eventually provide 13 new jobs.

“It will give us the capacity to provide over four times what we currently produce. All of this combined will help us to increase our export sales and establish a firm foothold in the hugely important market in Great Britain,” Bryan adds.

Everything from grazing to production takes place within the Clandeboye Estate,” he continues. “Milk is sourced daily from our own herd and those of other local producers – a complete ‘farm-to-spoon’ journey.”

The farm currently boasts a herd of around 70 Holsteins and 30 Jerseys which is also not a stranger to awards, winning a string of major UK and Irish championship ribbons and herd competition trophies.

Bryan continues: “As the only yoghurt manufacturer now located in Northern Ireland, our mission is to grow the business as sustainably as possible and to maintain thehigh quality of our natural handcrafted yoghurt offering.”

This commitment to the estate’s rich environment is also seen in the decision to heat and power the new £2 million factory by anaerobic digestion technology. This will also contribute to waste reduction initiatives.

Bryan says the important business with Lidl is “hugely encouraging, a real marketing boost and the outcome of a bench marketing exercise by the supermarket’s management.

“Lidl approached us following the check which concluded that our yoghurt was one of the best on the market,” he says. Lidl subsequently ordered Clandeboye’s Great Taste winning Greek styled and vanilla yoghurts.

The deal with Lidl means that Clandeboye Estate is now supplying its luxury yoghurts to every supermarket chain in Northern Ireland and many across the Republic. The premium yoghurts are now going on sale in around 300 Lidl supermarkets across the island.

“We were delighted to hear this about our yoghurts because it’s a marvellous endorsement of the quality and flavour of two of our longest established and most successful products,” he continues.

“The breakthrough with Lidl and indeed other retailers here and in the Republic wouldn’t have been possible without the tremendous skills and dedication of our highly experienced and passionate team at Clandeboye.”

In addition to its award-winning natural and Greek style luxury yoghurts, Clandeboye produces a successful range of flavoured products which are also widely available throughout Ireland.

The small company has also worked with Aldi Ireland in the creation of distinctively flavoured yoghurts under the supermarket’s own premium brand.

Clandeboye Estate’s range of Greek style and natural yoghurts were officially launched in 2008 and have been highly successful with significant listings secured from most major supermarket chains.

The small business was launched by Lady Dufferin, then the owner of the family Clandeboye Estate, in 2017 as essentially a farm diversification project. The extate has since become among the most successful in Ireland and has also been involved in a range of other activities including measures to preserve the environment and as a stylish venue for weddings, corporate events and other functions events such as sporting activities, weddings and corporate events.

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