THE SOUTHERN STAR AND CELTIC ROSS HOTEL WEST CORK FARMING AWARDS – HALL OF FAME WINNER: ALAN AND VALERIE KINGSTON, GLENILEN FARM
Award sponsored by Hodnett Forde.
STARTING out selling yoghurts in Bantry and Skibbereen markets 24 years ago, to now producing over 60 products, with a projected turnover this year of €13m, Glenilen Farm is one of West Cork’s outstanding, and beloved, success stories.
Like so many businesses, Alan and Valerie Kingston’s began at the kitchen table at their home in Drimoleague. At the time, Alan was a dairy farmer, working on the 60-acre farm he grew up on and supplying Drinagh Co-op, but restricted with its size, his options were to acquire more land, or diversify.
Valerie, whose background was dairy science, brought a fresh perspective and began experimenting using the high-quality milk they already had in abundance to make yoghurts and cheesecakes ... and the rest is history.
They now employ a team of over 70, manufacture 250,000 pots of yoghurt weekly, along with butter and crème fraiche, and the product range extends to at least 60.
In response to consumer demand, they’ve added a kefir yoghurt to the range, which has been a great success.
‘We have our own new product development personnel to develop new products and recipes and recently we launched a range of yoghurt in pouches which are very popular due to on-the-go convenience,’ said Alan.
Naturally, along the way there’s been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears and hours and hours of hard graft.
‘A thrilling rollercoaster of ups and downs,’ is how Alan describes the journey so far – and it’s not over by a long shot.
‘In business you can’t stand still,’ said Alan.
Key dates on their business journey include building their first commercial processing unit on the farm in 2002 when they moved from selling to just farmers markets to stores, and a major upgrade to facilities in 2008 when they moved from direct delivery to a centralised distribution model for their product suite.
‘The factory is growing again currently as we converted farm buildings and an expansion is in progress to allow higher throughput and greater efficiencies with a degree of automation,’ said Alan.
‘Val says it’s getting too close to the back door now!’
Val and Alan with some of the 60 products in the Glenilen range, which now has an expected turnover of €13m. (Photo: Andy Gibson)
In many ways, the Glenilen success story has been a West Cork success story, putting the quality of West Cork farmers and their milk in the spotlight.
To focus on the business, Alan sold his dairy cows to Aidan a neighbouring farmer but in a nice twist, their milk is still used in the factory and all milk used comes from within five miles.
‘We are really proud to be from West Cork with its great foodie reputation which we were able to build on. It is the home of so many pioneers of Ireland’s great farmhouse cheeses, and the home of Carbery milk products. In the 1970s Val’s parents used to drive from Douglas to Ballineen to pick up some cheddar which was the only place it was available according to them! My brother Peter grows the best and freshest veg on the farm next to us and fresh local food is on our doorstep all the time. West Cork has some of the best food retailers in the country. We also love having the Ilen within our brand name, the river runs through the farm and Val’s father came from Ilen house, Ballyhilty near Skibbereen so it’s very dear to both of us and gives our brand provenance,’ said Alan.
The couple’s favourite thing about running their own business is ‘making wholesome food from top class local milk and creating employment in a very rural location’.
‘We also love the fact that we don’t have a boss!’ said Alan, who also admits that having a ‘factory in our backyard can be demanding’.
The entrepreneurial couple both have strong Christian faith and read the bible daily admitting with God’s grace they are ‘a work in progress’.
They have known each other since they were teens from camps and youth groups in West Cork. Anyone who knows or who has met them will know them as warm, generous and mindful. They may be running a busy industry, but people and giving back to their community are very important to them.
Among many things, they’ve been involved in the early days setting up Drimoleague’s Food Bank.
‘We had no idea what the demand, if any, would be when we set up,’ said Val. ‘Currently almost 40 families use the facility every week with about 140 families on the register. With weekly deliveries from Food Cloud and generous donations from individuals and local supermarkets in West Cork, it fills a definite need.’
They are also involved in other activities such as kids clubs, parent and toddlers group Tiny Treasures at The Junction where the food bank is held.
‘The Junction is part of our local church in Drimoleague, which has become a busy hub in the village,’ she added.
Val and Alan Kingston at Glenilen Yogurts Factory, Drimoleague. (Photo: Andy Gibson)
Best lesson in business they learned?
‘You need to trust and delegate and very often other people can do the job better than you. Also, you don’t have to be an expert in any one thing but you do have to be able to turn your hand to a lot of things,’ said Alan.
‘One of the best bits of advice we got was that business is all about relationships and trying to look at issues from other people’s perspectives as well as our own,’ said Val.
Sustainability is also central to the Glenilen ethos: 160 KVA of PV solar panels were installed on the factory roof to produce 30% of electricity needs and all the purchased electricity is from renewable sources.
‘We have made a commitment to reduce our use of fossil fuels for steam generation by 23% between 2023-2027. We are on a mission to use the most sustainable packaging possible and all glass yoghurt jars are both recyclable and up-cyclable, while our other yoghurt pots are all recyclable,’ said Val.
Val and Alan are parents of three grown-up children.
Sally, 25, is an occupational therapist with the NHS in Swansea, Wales and got married in the summer at home on the farm. Grace, 23, is in final year in UCC doing International Development and Ben, 20, is in third year of Property Economics in TUD Dublin.
One day they’d love them to take over the business but only if they are passionate to do so.
‘They’re doing their own thing still and like every business they have to want to do it rather than be pushed into it. They have grown up with it and know the reality of what’s involved. We are happy that they are pursuing their own interests for now,’ said Val.
They’re honoured to win The Southern Star Hall of Fame award.
‘It is quite unexpected, for us it’s all about the team around us which have enabled Glenilen Farm to survive and grow. We never could do it without them,’ said Val.
Reflecting on the past 24 years, above all they’re grateful.
‘We have learned so much and have met and worked with so many interesting and wonderful people, from our days at the farmers markets to today. We’ve had experiences and opportunities we would never have dreamed of. We’re very thankful to be able to weather the tough days as well with God’s help,’ said Valerie.
Why we support West Cork farming
Andy Donoghue of Hodnett Forde Auctioneers. (Photo by theheadshotguy.ie)HODNETT Forde Property Services are delighted to support the 2024 West Cork Farming Awards in recognition of the incredible work and sacrifices all members of the farming community experience throughout their daily lives.
As we are well aware, farming isn’t a 9-5 role and involves a whole lifestyle commitment to operate successfully. The resilience and determination to contend with constant challenges such as climate, input costs, and regulation changes amounts to greater levels of pressure than ever before and so rewarding the standout performers is most befitting for this industry.
At Hodnett Forde Property Services we provide multiple agriculture-related property services including the sales and rental of farm land, valuation services, and negotiation services for acquisitions.
We work closely with agricultural tax consultants for inheritance and tax planning providing valuation advice where needed.
Our team of 12 staff are highly experienced and centrally located in Clonakilty covering an area from Cork city to the Beara Peninsula. We would be delighted to assist with any farm and property-related queries.
