Big ambitions as NI creamery goes for growth

摘要

Running a small creamery is a tough job - the choices are stark. You can stick with the bulk market through thick and thin and try to compete with the biggest in the business, or you can develop your product lines, turning out specialist cheeses that an increasingly choosy - and sophisticated - consumer demands. Mervyn McCaughey, who took over as managing director at Fivemiletown Creamery in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland a year ago, chose the latter. He and his team have big ambitions and he readily admits that the past 12 months have been quite a roller-coaster. Fivemiletown is in many ways typical of smaller, traditional creameries. It was founded as a farmers' co-operative business in 1898 to process milk for members. At the peak in the 1970s there were more than 100 members and currently there are about 60. But, despite the fall in producer numbers, security of supply is not an issue for Mr McCaughey.