Leprechaun. Tub-o-Gold. Golden Farm. In 1962, Ireland’s largest agri-food cooperative was tussling with a colorful shortlist of names for its new butter brand. The focus, if it wasn’t obvious, was squarely on export markets. The launch was to take place in Britain, initially sidestepping Ireland entirely, before continuing to continental Europe and the wider world. In the end, the board is said to have been motivated by a “strong K” with the ability to travel easily and far. Kerrygold was born.
As of 2018, Kerrygold is the second-best-selling branded butter in the U.S. The gold-wrappered import sold nearly 23,000 tons of butter in the U.S. last year, and $1 billion dollars worth in more than 80 markets worldwide. In the less than 20 years since its U.S. launch, it has outsold every brand except Land O’Lakes, which, since it was founded in 1921, enjoyed almost an 80-year head start.
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