Food Academy
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Guiry's of West Limerick
Guiry’s of West Limerick is a small family run poultry farm situated near Newcastle West in the heart of the Golden Vale. Mike and his wife Christine originally set up to produce hatching eggs for Castlemahon Foods Ltd with 4000 birds. It was to be a complimentary farm enterprise to their small dairy herd.
Over the next few years the cows were sold and the money used to extend and automate the poultry unit.
Unfortunately disaster struck with the closure and liquidation of Castlemahon Foods Ltd and 2 years later another liquidation at Cappaquin Chickens Ltd. Mike and Christine were now almost broke with massive bills and loans, no income for months and now no market for the eggs. They had to close down the poultry unit for the second time. Luckily Christine found part-time work while Mike went about cleaning out and dismantling the poultry unit.
A year later with the help of friends, suppliers and AIB they converted the farm and the poultry unit to make it suitable for Free Range Egg production. At first all the eggs went to a wholesaler. They got a packing licence form the Dept of Agriculture and were now in a position to supply local shops.
The two local SuperValu outlets in Newcastle West agreed to stock their eggs and it has been onward and upwards ever since. Christine took part in the Food Academy and this has lead to more sales in more SuperValu stores. Food Academy went through costings and branding which are hugely important, things that can be easily overlooked when one is very busy in production.
Nowadays Mike looks after all the egg production and the welfare of the hens. He also delivers the eggs into the retail outlets. Christine looks after sales and grading of the eggs. They also have some help from their adult children. The bills are paid and the loans reducing. They are very grateful to SuperValu for these opportunities and peace of mind as all the eggs are no longer in one basket with each store having its own account.
The neighbours (near and far) are grateful too as they can buy the freshest free range locally produced eggs any day of the week.
