Connection and commitment at the core of Kinisla
It’s an exciting time for Kerry Dairy Ireland as they unveil a significant rebrand and €300m investment programme. Commercial Director of Consumer Foods at the newly-named Kinisla, Tim Gault discusses the next chapter with NR.
Drawing inspiration from both kinship and its island identity, Kinisla is the new corporate identity for the former Kerry Dairy Ireland. Marking a significant new chapter for the company, the new name reflects its deep connection to its people, farming heritage and Irish roots while also signalling a bold, outward-looking future.
The rebrand follows a landmark year for the business, after Kerry Co-Operative Creameries acquired a 70% shareholding in Kerry Dairy Ireland in 2025, marking the beginning of its transition towards a fully farmer-owned co-operative model by 2035 and reinforcing Kinisla’s commitment to supporting farmers and securing the future of high-quality Irish grass-fed dairy.
“This is a hugely exciting time for us, as we mark an important milestone for the business,” said Tim.
“We are proud to reveal our new corporate identity which reflects our heritage and our bold ambitions for the future. Our new name signals our commitment to putting people back at the heart of the business: the dairy farmers who supply our grass-fed milk and the consumers who buy our brands.
“Powered by people and shaped by the land, at Kinisla we are laser-focused on creating and supplying high-quality products that deliver on what consumers really want. This investment will turbocharge our innovation pipeline, strengthen our supply chain and support our ambition to reimagine dairy and inspire what’s next for the category.”
As Tim explained to NR, it was important to involve employees and stakeholders in contributing to the new identity.
“We have taken our time to do this and we have launched with a name that everyone within the business and hopefully our stakeholders and customers all identify with,” added Tim.
“Our new name comes at a time when we are returning to majority ownership bringing us closer to our incredibly important farmer co-operative base.
“The business is performing well and we are moving forward in a position of strength and the new identity celebrates that. It speaks to the two aspects of our business – the kin or our people and the land – the beautiful island that fuels our dairy. Leaning into our rich heritage and our bold plans for future growth.”
With the roots of the company spanning five decades and employing 270 people in Northern Ireland, Kinisla is well known for its market-leading brands including: Golden Cow and Coleraine as well as Strings and Things’ Cheestrings. The company’s core brands, which are well known and trusted by consumers, are also a reflection of the passion to drive innovation that meets ever-changing consumer demand.
“It is very important for us to have a strong relationship with local farmers and suppliers. It’s fundamental to our business and supply chain as it allows us to focus on elevating diary and creating higher value products that consumers want. Our burgeoning snacking business and nutritional ingredients division are the two main priority growth areas for us,” said Tim.
As part of its long-term growth strategy, the business is launching a €300m five-year investment plan across its Consumer Foods and Nutritional Ingredients business divisions.
The investment will fuel growth by supporting manufacturing innovation, operational scale and sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, while creating more than 100 new roles across central functions, innovation and commercial operations over the next 12 to 24 months.
“We have announced the investment programme allowing for us to invest for the future. I have outlined the two growth areas, but particularly relevant for Northern Ireland is consumer foods and continuing to deliver innovative dairy based products,” said Tim.
