Golden Vale is to launch its successful "Cheesestrings" product in the Netherlands and plans to extend marketing further into Europe. Sales of Cheesestrings in Ireland and Britain will be more than £17 million this year, ahead of expectations, said Golden Vale's director of cheese, Mr Con Lucey.

Mr Lucey said the group would invest a further £1.2 million in increasing production capacity for Cheesestrings. To date, Golden Vale has introduced a number of extensions of the basic product, including a new smoky bacon flavour, larger packs and a new "Twister" variation, which involves two strands of double flavoured and coloured cheddar cheese that peels with a twist.