Cork ice-cream company wins €1.4m Tesco own-label contract
Made with locally sourced milk, Silver Pail Dairy will supply a range of tub, block and pint-sized ice-cream products to Tesco stores across Ireland, and through its online shopping service.
Joe Manning, commercial director, Tesco Ireland, said he was pleased to support Silver Pail Dairy, a local, family business as part of Tesco’s commitment to Irish suppliers.
“This new partnership with Silver Pail reflects our focus on supporting Irish suppliers, Irish agrifood and the Irish economy. We are committed to our 490 Irish suppliers, of which many are local, family-run businesses like Silver Pail, and which in turn benefits almost 14,000 farming families nationwide,” Manning said.
I’m very proud, particularly as a Cork-man, that the entire Tesco own-label ice-cream range now comes from Fermoy, made using milk from West Cork farms. This is good news for local farmers, the local economy and for our customers around Ireland, who will receive a product of exceptional quality and provenance.”
A family business, employing 90 people in Fermoy, Silver Pail was founded in 1978 by Michael Murphy, and has grown to become the largest independent ice cream manufacturer in Ireland.
The company is now run by Michael’s daughter, managing director, Thea Murphy, who said, “As a family-run business in operation for over 40 years, we are delighted to work with Tesco to develop this new range which showcases the best local dairy produce in delicious ice-creams which will be sold throughout Ireland. The contract to supply ice-cream to Tesco is a significant addition to our business and further secures the jobs of our local workforce and many local and Irish suppliers.”
Silver Pail Dairy joins the 490 suppliers Tesco works with in Ireland, of which almost three-quarters are small and medium enterprises employing fewer than 250 people. This in turn supports almost 14,000 farming families nationwide.
Latest figures show the overall economic impact of Tesco’s expenditure in Ireland is €2.92bn ($3.52bn), and that the company supports almost 45,000 jobs, directly and indirectly around Ireland. Tesco buys €1.6bn ($1.93bn) of Irish food and drink annually, more than the value of Irish food and drink exported to any country in the European Union. This includes more than €900m ($1.09bn) in exports.
Tesco said support for Irish suppliers and communities has been a central tenet of its business since entering the Irish retail market almost 25 years ago.
All Tesco own-brand milk is Irish and sourced from Bord-Bia approved farms.
