A new butter brand, ÓR Real Irish Butter has been launched by one of Ireland’s leading dairy farming co-operatives, North Cork Creameries, based on a proud heritage of excellence in butter making in Kanturk, Co. Cork, since 1928.
The launch took place on the farm of Mairéad and Morty Lucey, Kanturk, who are milk suppliers to North Cork Creameries.  The co-operative’s CEO Pat Sheahan and Milk Advisor Darren Deasy presented the Lucey family with packs of the new butter made in Kanturk, using milk from grass fed herds on local farms. The Luceys also appear on the new ÓR Real Irish Butter website and marketing material, demonstrating the family farming background underpinning the very high quality of the new butter.
The goodness of ÓR Real Irish Butter is now available for shoppers in SuperValu stores nationwide. It is made using the finest quality, naturally produced milk originating from certified grass-fed cows living on local family farms.
ÓR Real Irish Butter uses fresh cream in a gradual churning process to deliver a deliciously creamy, rich, smooth and textured butter for spreading and which also melts perfectly for cooking and baking.
ÓR is the Irish word for ‘Gold’ and is certainly appropriate for ÓR Real Irish Butter where the co-operative’s butter is already a multi-award-winning product having recently won Gold in the dairy – butter category of the 2021 Blas na hÉireann awards, as well as being a finalist in 2019 and 2020. Additionally, North Cork Creameries won the overall national Gold Q accolade at the Irish Quality Food Awards in 2019 and medals at the Great Taste Awards in both 2019 and 2020.
“Launching ÓR Real Irish Butter is a natural evolution for our great tasting butter which is truly special because it’s produced with fresh milk provided locally from certified grass-fed herds and made in a process that has been perfected by our farmer owned co-operative, across over 90 years of skill and excellence in butter making,” said Pat Sheahan, CEO of North Cork Creameries.
“We’re delighted to bring ÓR Real Irish Butter to the shelves of SuperValu stores nationwide where consumers the length and breadth of the country will now be able to enjoy this exceptionally high quality, traditionally produced butter made using cream from the naturally fresh milk supplied by our farm families.”
“North Cork Creameries worked closely with Bord Bia to research, design and develop the new ÓR Real Irish Butter brand, based on consumer insight and the latest market trends where nationally, more shoppers have been switching to butter for its clearly defined natural qualities and particularly so during the pandemic, where consumers have been enjoying more butter for home cooking, bakery and daily use on the family table. Bord Bia’s support has been excellent along every step of the way and we’re very pleased to recognise that. They saw the potential for our butter to become even more popular and we’re confident consumers nationwide will enjoy the taste and quality of this delicious new brand and product.”
The real butter category in retail is in strong volume and value growth over the past five years as shoppers switch from spreads and margarines to butter.