New Innovators: Powerful Yogurt

Food products with added protein is a growing market within the international food industry. Now Kildare-based start-up, Irepak, is about to enter the segment with the launch of a new, high-protein yogurt.

"Powerful Yogurt is the very first high-protein, fat-free yogurt made in Ireland from the very best of Irish milk," says Robert Doyle who set up the company with his wife Louise in 2013. Doyle first came across a high-protein yogurt in a health store in the US two years ago. This got him thinking about the possibility of making a similar product in Ireland. The Doyles had wanted to set up their own business for some time and had identified scalability and export potential as two of their key criteria.

“When we carried out our market research we noticed there was a lack of tasty, fresh, natural sources of protein,” Doyle says. “Many existing products were either simply fortified with protein or contained too many unpronounceable ingredients to deem them ‘healthy’. We wanted a simple, natural product with no artificial preservatives or sweeteners.”

Doyle subsequently approached the US producers of the high-protein yogurt and did a deal with them to produce it under licence for Ireland and the UK. The recipe was tweaked to suit both the raw ingredients available here and consumer tastes.

Powerful Yogurt will be launched in mid-November and will be sold through gyms and health and convenience stores before moving into the mainstream retailers. Doyle says Spar and Eurospar in particular are strongly supporting the product which will be listed in a number of outlets around the country. Irepak has also begun securing listings in the UK.

Having identified high-protein yogurt as a potential business idea, the Doyles subsequently came across the Government’s Harvest 2020 report which convinced them that they were on the right track. “This report outlined the increased focus to be placed on agriculture and the dairy sector in particular over the next seven to eight years and beyond,” Doyle says. “We could see that the abolition of the milk quota system in 2015 would represent additional value-added and export opportunities and we wanted to be part of this. In tandem we recognised the growing awareness among consumers of the importance of protein in their daily diet and focused our market research on opportunities within dairy-based protein.”

In April 2013 the company was accepted on to Bord Bia's Foodworks programme which also includes input from Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc. "Foodworks provides critical incubation facilities for food start-up companies who can demonstrate that their projects have significant export potential. Without doubt our participation provided us with the necessary tools to get us to market," Doyle says.

The Doyles both have over 25 years’ experience of working in the packaging industry and many of the customers they worked with were involved with chilled dairy foods. “We had a good insight into the types of new products coming on stream and we also have a good understanding of the supply chain for yogurt, butter and cheese in both Irish and UK markets,” Doyle says.

Powerful Yogurt comes in a 227g tub and each serving provides 25g of protein. The product will be launched in three flavours initially with additional flavours, yogurt bars and high-protein yogurt drinks to follow next year. The company currently employs three and Doyle says the goal is to employ 10 people within 18 months.

The start-up has been funded through a combination of personal savings, support from Enterprise Ireland, and the Kildare Local Enterprise Office and Microfinance Ireland loans. Total investment to date is in excess of €250,000. This includes funding specialist manufacturing equipment. Powerful Yogurt is being produced under contract for Irepak.