CEO/Director of Product and Sales
Director/Product Development Manager
Business Development Manager
This blend won the Bord Bia Organic award in 2016 for the Best Prepared Product category, despite stiff competition. In the Summer of 2018, we were proud to add a second blend of coffee to our products: Purely Arabica Blend, and recently launched a third Organic coffee: a Peruvian Arabica, decaffeinated using the CO2 method rather than solvents for a coffee with all the flavour but little or no caffeine.
Starting off, we made batches of kefir in a small 20 litre Bain Marie, which we bottled and labelled by hand. We had to move to a 200 litre vat within 3 months and in 2018 we had to purchase a 850 litre vat. We currently produce around1600 litres per week. The product proved to be very popular with our health conscious customers. Three years later, and our production scale has grown continuously to cater for the increasing demand as the undisputed health benefits of milk kefir is the main driver of sales.
The company is focused only on certified Organic produce. Our current products are Organic Kefir, (a probiotic health drink for gut revitalisation made with whole organic milk.) and Whole-bean Artisan Organic coffees.
Our current products are Organic Kefir, (a probiotic health drink for gut revitalisation made with whole organic milk.) and Whole-bean Artisan Organic coffees.
One of our Directors: Sean McGloin became aware of the health benefits of the fermented milk kefir and was making kefir for his family before developing the product on a small commercial scale.
Kefir originates in the Caucasus mountains. Hundreds of years ago kefir was found high in the Caucasus mountains villages of nomadic shepherds who had abnormally good health. While half the world was dying of malnutrition and disease, these shepherds and their families lived long healthy lives with little or no disease. On further research, they discovered that part of the diet was a milk product that was stored in bags or containers made from calf stomachs. As temperatures rose the natural bacteria in the wall of the calf’s stomach bag impregnated the milk causing fermentation resulting in billions of good bacteria that was regular drank by the shepherds to achieve good health.
In 2016, Blakes Always Organic commenced selling Organic Kefir. Starting off, we made batches of kefir in a small 20 litre Bain Marie, which we bottled and labelled by hand. We had to move to a 200 litre vat within 3 months and in 2018 we had to purchase a 850 litre vat. We currently produce around1600 litres per week. The product proved to be very popular with our health conscious customers. Three years later, and our production scale has grown continuously to cater for the increasing demand as the undisputed health benefits of milk kefir is the main driver of sales.
Our customers take kefir for a wide range of ailments. Basically, anything to do with the gut, such as:
Other areas where our customers are claiming it has benefitted them are:
Our product is a “clean” product. We add nothing but the organic milk and bacteria. Our customers can always add whatever fruit they prefer before consumption, to make delicious fresh smoothies from our wholesome product, add it to oats for a healthy porridge, bake bread with it, or alternatively, consume the kefir in its natural form, as it has been consumed for countless generations throughout Eastern Europe and Russia, where the literal translation of kefir is; ‘Feel Good’. Our kefir products are produced in The Food Hub in Drumshanbo, and we hope to launch three flavoured Fermented Water Kefirs for those customers who are looking for a Vegan alternative to milk kefir.
Our other Director: John Brennan, worked closely with Coffee and Cocoa farmers in South America, so Organic coffee was an obvious product choice for us. With the help of a local coffee expert in Carrick-On Shannon, in 2016 we launched our first blend of whole bean coffee: Blakes Always Organic ‘Culture Blend’ Coffee. This blend won the Bord Bia Organic award in 2017 for the Best Prepared Product category, despite stiff competition. In the Summer of 2018, we were proud to add a second blend of coffee to our products: Purely Arabica Blend, and recently launched a third Organic coffee: a Peruvian Arabica, decaffeinated using the CO2 method rather than solvents for a coffee with all the flavour but little or no caffeine.
Blakes Always Organic is continuing to grow and evolve, and as we do so, we hope to create more jobs in the local area.
Blakes Always Organic employs 6 staff and are embedded in the local community.
