Irish dairy exporter Ornua, which owns the Kerrygold butter brand, has announced plans to expand its product offering into the Middle East and Africa.
The group is introducing Kerrygold butter sticks in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan, and expanding its pizza cheese portfolio across quick service restaurants in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Ornua Middle East Expansion
Ornua has been exporting Irish dairy products to the UAE for over 30 years, and the company is now looking to expand its presence to other countries in the Middle East.
Kerrygold butter sticks come in a 100-gram format, the most popular format in the butter category across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan.
Its entry into the Middle East follows the success of butter sticks in the US market, where Kerrygold is the number 2 butter brand, the dairy company noted.
On-The-Go Food Solutions
Ornua is also looking to capitalise on the rising on-the-go food solutions market.
The group launched a new pizza cheese range targeted at the €5.4 billion Middle East and North African pizza market.
Produced at its cheese facility in Ávila, Spain, Ornua has developed a range of flavoured string cheese for stuffed crust pizza – an increasingly popular offering among global and regional quick service restaurants worldwide.
Commenting on the group's expansion, David Butler, managing director of Ornua Ingredients International, said, "The Middle East is the fastest growing retail landscape globally and has experienced a rapid rise in demand for on-the-go-food solutions representing a significant opportunity for Irish dairy.
"Our new product offerings are designed to meet the ever-changing needs of consumers across the region and will reinforce our position in the market, building a great foundation for long-term, sustainable growth."
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest A-Brands news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
