We are pleased to advise that The Kerrygold Company and North Downs Dairy, both wholly owned Irish Dairy Board subsidiaries, are merging to create one consumer foods business, Adams Foods Ltd. This will take effect from 3 October 2010.

The new company will combine the marketing capability of both organisations to grow the Kerrygold and Pilgrims Choice branded portfolio and will harness the respective strengths of the two cheese packing operations to efficiently deliver the broadest range of pre-packed hard cheeses to the UK market. Operating as one business, we anticipate the annual turnover will be £335 million.

We believe by merging the businesses we can better serve our customer needs and drive an aggressive added value growth agenda in the UK market.

The factory facilities of both The Kerrygold Company, based in Leek, Staffordshire, and that of North Downs Dairy, based in Wincanton, Somerset, will remain fully operational.

Carl Ravenhall, currently managing director of The Kerrygold Company, will become the managing director of Adams Foods Ltd. Commenting on the merger he says: “This is exciting news for our two businesses and the dairy industry. Our aim is to be the most enterprising dairy marketing company in the UK and a leading supplier of cheese, butter and other dairy products to the retail and foodservice sectors. By combining our strengths we are creating one company that can market, sell, produce, and distribute the Kerrygold and Pilgrims Choice branded portfolio in addition to the broadest range of retailer brand hard cheeses across the UK.”

Alastair Jackson, currently managing director of North Downs Dairy, will become marketing director for Adams Foods Ltd. Speaking of the merger he says: “By combining our strengths we will have unprecedented knowledge of the dairy market and category marketing. We will be much better equipped to provide customers with all their dairy needs, from premium brands to everyday cheeses, knowing we can deliver efficiently and competitively.”

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For further information please contact jo.vyvyan-robinson@phippspr.com tel: 020 7759 7400 / 07590183382

The Kerrygold Company aims to increase its presence in the foodservice sector with an increased focus on expanding its range for this growing sector.

The Kerrygold Company Foodservice division will offer a specialist range of cheese and butter products through the Kerrygold and Adams brands. The extensive range has been developed to offer a quality solution for the professional chefs’ catering needs.

Premium quality from the Kerrygold brand

Kerrygold, the Irish Butter brand, has a large range of butter portion solutions to accommodate the full spectrum of catering needs, offering the high quality you would expect from the Kerrygold brand, to compliment whatever dish you serve.

The frozen butter portion range covers a number of attractive shapes and is ideal for receptions, banquets, conferences and formal dining events. These handy individual frozen portions in 10g and 15g sizes can also be used as a garnish melted on steak, salmon, potatoes or steamed vegetables. The garlic and herb variety is particularly useful for adding extra flavour to your dish. Chilled 7g and 10g foil portions complete the range offering the ideal solution for breakfast and lunch buffets, cafés, sandwich shops and airlines.

Dean Andrews, who has over a decade of experience in the foodservice industry, is the newly appointed business development manager of The Kerrygold Company’s foodservice division. He says, “Kerrygold offers a complete frozen and chilled range of butter portions for the catering sector. From frozen butter rosettes to mini-foiled butter portions, we offer quality and convenience for a variety of dining occasions. Our branded foil options in particular assure customers they are receiving a premium quality product.”

New Adams brand identity

When it was established in 1922, the Adams brand had one product portfolio which consisted solely of butter. Since then the Adams brand has grown and now incorporates a number of cheese products including block, grated and sliced. The cheese comes in a number of types and strengths to suit a number of catering needs and dining occasions.

The Adams brand has been redesigned to unite a number of stand alone products under a common brand identity. According to Andrews, ”The Adams brand was launched in 1922 and has consistently offered consumers quality and value. We wanted to reinforce these credentials through the new packaging, and show we are serious about making a mark on the foodservice industry. We are really excited about the new look which gives the Adams brand a contemporary feel without losing its original butter heritage. We look forward to using this range to grow the foodservice division of the business in the future.”

The Kerrygold Company’s new, award-winning and environmentally friendly new plant in Leek in Staffordshire is home to both the Kerrygold and Adams brands. For more information on the range call 0153 839 9111 or email foodservice@kerrygold.co.uk.

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For further information about The Kerrygold Company, please contact Kerry MacKenzie or Robert Warren at Lawson Dodd on 0207 535 1355 or at kerry.mackenzie@lawsondodd.co.uk or robert.warren@lawsondodd.co.uk.

Notes to Editors:

Launched in 1962 and owned by the Irish Dairy Board, Kerrygold is one of the UK’s best-known dairy brands. Alongside its butter brand, The Kerrygold Company is also the UK’s biggest supplier of pre-packed cheese to the major multiples. The company employs over 550 people at its headquarters in Leek, Staffordshire, and prides itself on its continual investment in the future via its sustainable and people-focused business processes and practices.

The Kerrygold Company were proud double winners at the Nantwich International Cheese Awards, held in July.

The Kerrygold Company officially opened its state-of-the-art cheese packing facility on 22 May. This marks a new era in the history of the company which cuts and packs cheese for many UK grocery, retail and foodservice customers.