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The history of ingredients production at Arrabawn is a 100 plus year-old story that speaks to a time-honoured tradition of consistency and excellence.
The story goes all the way back to 1913 when the first golden butters were produced from grass fed cows that grazed a region rated for having some of the most fertile dairy pastures in the world.
Given the quality of those dairy-lands here, ingredients production was inevitable. The constant has always been the quality of the milk, but the variant has been how it was produced.
Back in 1913, the first production plant cost the equivalent of €2,000 to build and equip. A lot of money in those days and the investment returned handsomely for the co-op which, within just three years, processed its first 1million litres in a season.
Progress continued but it took until 1955 for the co-op to get into Liquid Milk and by the time Ireland joined what was then the EEC in 1973, milk production in the area had increased dramatically.
The co-op itself grew and evolved to accommodate this and by the mid-1970s it was drying powders and erected its first evaporator and spray drier.
In the late 1980s it made the move into proteins with the development of what was the first casein plant in the region, triggering the opening of export markets for the world class products that could be derived from the rich local milk.
In 2001 Nenagh Co-op merged with the Mid-West Farmers’ Co-op based in Co. Galway to form Arrabawn Co-Op. This led to an increase in output at our Nenagh plant as milk quantities ramped up and continue to grow to this day, with over 300million litres of milk now produced annually thanks to record investment in the plant over the past decade.
Arrabawn Ingredients is based in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, one of the richest dairying heartlands in the world.
Our suppliers are concentrated in this and neighbouring counties but the growth in production now sees us collect milk from down into the southeast and up the west coast, drawn from 14 counties in all.
Our farmers today deploy all the modern technologies and supports available to them to optimise the opportunity that these world-class grasslands provide. Our farms are predominantly spring-calving, with cows grazing off the fertile and rolling pastures of this rich dairying region from then on to the early winter – essentially until the land begins to soften up.
Typically, this means up to or over 270 days a year of milking, with the production curve rising sharpest in May when we process up to 2 million litres of milk a day from our farmers.
With a requirement of six or more litres of water to produce one litre of milk, our farmers are in a region of water abundance, providing a milk production platform ideal for the volumes and quality of ingredients that our customers require and one that is fully sustainable, ethical and humane.
Quality and care – the way food production should be.
Our production facility is BRC approved with an AA rating.
BRC Global Standards is a leading brand and consumer protection organisation, used by over 25,000 certificated suppliers over 130 countries, with certification issued through a global network of accredited certification bodies. BRC Global Standards’ guarantee the standardisation of quality, safety and operational criteria and ensure that manufacturers fulfil their legal obligations and provide protection for the end consumer. BRC Global Standards are now often a fundamental requirement of leading retailers, manufacturers and food service organisations.
Our facility is SEDEX approved. Sedex is a global not-for-profit membership organisation. Sedex is home to the world’s largest collaborative platform for sharing responsible sourcing data on supply chains.
All product manufactured in our ingredient factory are Kosher approved, conforming to the regulations of Kashrut.
All product manufactured on our Nenagh site is also Halal approved.
At Arrabawn, our Research and Development team brings decades of expertise in dairy and ingredient processing to the forefront of our customer offerings. We are committed to continuously enhancing our processes and products to deliver greater value. Our R&D team specialises in optimising fat, protein, and by-product streams, ensuring our solutions meet the highest standards. Additionally, we work closely with our customers to address functionality and process improvement queries, providing tailored support to ensure the best possible service. Our team are at the cutting edge of Research working closely with the best dairy science universities and governmental bodies in the country.
If you have any queries or opportunities, you think would benefit from our products and service please reach out on the contact page.