Export success for Bangor’s Clandeboye premium yoghurt
Article by Sam Butler
Award winning Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt, the only yoghurt made in Northern Ireland, has won a contract to supply Aldi in the Republic of Ireland.
Based at Bangor in Co. Down, Clandeboye Estate recently installed a second pot filling line, a £70,000 investment, to support the new business with the leading German discounter.
Clandeboye Estate, which has won a string of awards for its artisan products, is supplying its Greek-style and Madagascan Vanilla premium yoghurts in 450g pots.
The approach from Aldi followed Clandeboye’s success in winning the yoghurt category in last year’s Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards.
Bryan Boggs, Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt general manager, commenting on the contract with Aldi, says: “We are delighted to have won what could prove to be our biggest deal yet in the Republic of Ireland, a key export market for us.
“Our success in the Irish Quality Food and Drink Awards helped to open the door for us to this very exciting business opportunity with Aldi and with a number of other potential clients in the Republic.
“Aldi was keen to add a premium yoghurt brand to its portfolio there. It’s a marvellous boost for us and will move our business in the Republic to a new level.
“We have begun supplying our Clandeboye Estate branded yoghurts to the Aldi depot in Nass for distribution to 61 supermarkets across the Republic,” he adds.
Clandeboye Estate luxury yoghurt using milk sourced from the farm’s own award winning Holstein and Jersey herd and is produced using traditional handmade techniques that include straining the yoghurt.
The artisan company’s natural and Greek-style yoghurts are hand made using traditional techniques to provide a rich creamy texture without fat content. The milk, sourced fresh every morning from the estate’s herd, is prepared and cultured very gently over a 24-hour period in small batches. This helps to create the exceptional flavour and texture.
The Greek style yoghurt is also made in traditional way by straining through cheesecloth to create a product with absolutely no thickening additives and therefore no added fats.
The yoghurt began as a farm diversification project driven by Lady Dufferin, the estate owner and a widely known artist. The yoghurt business was launched in 2007 and now produces a range of premium products including fruit smoothies that are sold throughout Northern Ireland.
