Irish milk powders will be used in a New Zealand brand’s full range of yogurt mixes, thanks to a new supply partnership established with Ornua.

Ornua’s UK-based nutritional ingredients business, Ornua Nutrition Ingredients (ONI), has partnered with Kiwi brand EasiYo who specialise in homemade, fresh yogurt products.

This partnership will see ONI utilise a new, purpose-built, production facility at its headquarters in Leek in the UK.

The new facility, which will require a joint investment of €850,000, will be used to blend and pack high–quality, Irish milk powders into the full range of EasiYo natural and flavoured yogurt mixes for the UK and European markets.

This will be the first time that EasiYo has been produced outside of New Zealand, marking a major step forward in the brand’s international development.

EasiYo is one of the world’s best selling brands of homemade yogurt and it is know for its taste and thick texture.

The brand has a strong consumer following in Australia, New Zealand and the Far East.

The company also has ambitious plans to increase its presence in its largest market, the UK and Continental Europe, with a major business development and marketing drive to increase its distribution and sales.

Central to this will be an initial five year ‘end-to-end’ partnership between ONI, where the new UK facility will incorporate new, high-speed, sachet-packing lines.

The partnership will provide strong support for EasiYo’s expansion in the UK and European marketplace, the Managing Director of ONI, Alastair Jackson, said.

“Ornua’s strategic objective is to develop opportunities for the export of Irish dairy products and this important partnership with EasiYo demonstrates that we are making strong progress in developing added value routes to market for high-quality, grass fed Irish milk products.”

Meanwhile, the New Zealand brand is excited to be working with ONI as its UK and European supply partner, CEO at EasiYo Products Brian Dewar said.

The UK and EU markets represent a multi-million euro opportunity for us to capitalise on the growing consumer trend of making fresh, wholesome, food at home.

“Moving manufacture and supply closer to our key accounts means we can respond to our customers’ needs faster while significantly improving our environmental footprint.

“With so many similarities between Ornua Nutrition Ingredients and EasiYo, this partnership was a natural fit for our business,” he said.