Post tax profits at the producers of the multi award winning Cashel Blue cheese last year increased marginally to €960,037.
New accounts filed by the family owned J& L Grubb Ltd, trading as Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers, show that the post tax profits of €960,037 follow post tax profits of €950,904 in 2023.
The profits for last year resulted in the company – which celebrated its 40th year in business in 2024 – having accumulated profits of €9.23m at the end of last year.
The company’s cash funds increased from €2.46m to €2.86m and the profit last year takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of €314,664.
Aggregate pay to directors at the company increased from €154,896 to €229,775.
Member of the wider Grubb family which operates the south Co Tipperary speciality cheese maker Louis Clifton Brown said today that “2024 was a steady year, with no growth in volumes. 2025 looks to be similar”.
The firm’s Quality and Environmental Manager said: “Massive raw material cost increases – milk – have really impacted and this necessitated some price increase on the market – and as expected a price increase usually results in some sales volume stagnation.”
“We are fortunate that 70% of total sales are now within the Republic of Ireland. Historically we were 70% export,” he said.
“In general, sales are okay, but not as buoyant as 2023 where there was a huge uplift post a significant Covid-19 induced low,” he added.
Louis and Jane Grubb set up Cashel Blue in the early 1980s and the couple’s daughter, Sarah and husband, Sergio took over the running of the 226-acre Beechmount Farm enterprise in Fethard in 2004.
On the impact of proposed Trump tariffs, Mr Clifton Brown – who is a nephew of Louis and Jane Grubb and cousin of Sarah – said: “Business to North America is not particularly easy with the US tariff headwinds, however we are fortunate to have a small exposure to the US”.
“This has been an ongoing trend over many years since the indigenous US speciality cheesemakers have really started gathering pace and therefore the market is much more competitive than it was 15 years ago,” he said.
“The tariff threat has created some new opportunities-now other markets, such as Canada, are much more open to us than previously. We are hopeful for some good news in this area in 2026,” he added.
The company handles around three million litres of milk annually and Mr Clifton Browne said that “we do have an environmental policy that all milk is sourced from less than 25 km from the dairy”.
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
