Leading food ingredients company Kerrygold will be celebrating 40 years of success in Germany this week.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Tom Hayes TD, will attend the celebrations in Dusseldorf. Despite a challenging economy, with weak consumer sentiment, Kerrygold has pushed the Irish brand to become the No 1 brand for butter in Germany.

Kerrygold’s market share rose to 15.3 per cent in 2012 with further growth this year expected. Its cheese sales also grew, a number of well-known Irish cheeses are sold under the Kerrygold umbrella abroad, including Cashel Blue. Last year’s sales of cheese grew by 44 per cent, giving it a very sound foundation for continued growth in the future.

Minister Hayes is set to visit the Irish Dairy Board factory in Dusseldorf where he said he will be pushing for further growth. “It’s important to mark the wonderful achievement by Kerrygold, who have worked hard over the past four decades, to position themselves as the No 1 brand for butter in Germany. It’s also important that we build on this success and ensure that Irish dairy products continue to lead the market globally. Kerrygold is an excellent example of how a really good Irish product can turn in to a global brand.”

The ceremony marking its 40 years of success will be held on Wednesday and has been organised by the Irish Dairy Board.