In 1999, when Tom Brennan set up the Freshways sandwich business, not everyone could see what they could see. “People laughed, they thought, 'why would anyone pay IR£2 for a sandwich when they could nearly get a sliced pan and a packet of ham for the same amount?' What they didn’t see was the convenience factor and this strong emerging consumer trend,” says Brennan.
Having identified another opportunity in snacking, Brennan came back to the food industry and set up Dairy Concepts IRL, based at the world-renowned Moorepark dairy research and development campus in Fermoy.“Snack sales are experiencing an exponential growth rate, but consumers are now seeking healthier and more convenient alternatives including protein-rich snacking options in more natural forms.
“Our first two innovations, dairy bars and crunchy cheese have recently been launched and a portfolio of other exciting world-first dairy snacks are in the development pipeline.” “We recently exhibited our first products at Anuga in Cologne, the world’s largest food trade exhibition and the reaction to our products by leading distributors and retailers from around the world was fantastic. We have already begun taking export orders,” Brennan says.