Ór-Real Irish Butter is produced by North Cork Creameries, which was established in Kanturk in Co Cork in 1928.

North Cork Creameries has been making butter for almost 100 years using summer milk from local, certified grass-fed cows. Ór-Real Irish Butter is made using the traditional method of slow churning and the only addition is a pinch of salt.

The farmer owned independent cooperative employs more than 100 local people directly. It supports 250 local family farm milk suppliers and contributes significantly to the local economy.

Its revenues increased by 16% in 2021 to just over €155m. The co-operative processed 226 million litres of whole milk last year and produced 17,580 tonnes of butter.

Pat Sheahan, CEO of North Cork Creameries, said the co-op has strong ambitions to grow Ór-Real Irish Butter.

“There is a real appetite for quality, natural products and we’re seeing a resurgence in the demand for real Irish butter,” Mr Sheahan said.

“We’re in a unique position in North Cork with the right amount of rain and ideal soil profiles to enable us to produce the highest quality milk from grass-fed cows. We thrive on tradition and use our generations of expertise to turn the finest local milk into butter,” he said.

“We also know our farmers and their farms really well and they believe in sustainable farming. Our farmers, their families and our locality are all part of what makes Ór-Real Irish Butter special,” he added.

Cork County Council has granted Aldi planning permission to build a new store on Percival Street, near the town centre of Kanturk.

Expected to open in late 2023, the new store will see an investment of €7m in the local area. Eighty jobs will also be created during the construction phase of the new shop.

The new store will be Aldi’s 25th in the county of Cork.

The supermarket chain this year submitted planning applications for a Clonakilty store, which is due to open in late 2022, and a new store on Skehard Road, Blackrock, which is planned to open in 2024.

Last year, it sourced €68.5m of locally produced food and drink from Co Cork based suppliers.

Caption: Artist’s impression of Kanturk store