Toons Bridge Dairy

What Toons Bridge Dairy does

Toons Bridge Dairy is an Irish artisan food producer and specialty retailer headquartered in Toons Bridge, Macroom, Co. Cork, Ireland. The business operates under the legal entity The Real Olive Company Limited and is co-owned by Toby Simmonds and Jenny-Rose Clarke. It produces over 15 varieties of buffalo and cow's milk cheese, including Ireland's first buffalo mozzarella (launched in 2009), at a creamery in Toons Bridge village, West Cork. The company complements its dairy production with an imported Mediterranean specialty food portfolio sourced through The Real Olive Company, which was established in Cork's English Market in 1993.

The business operates a multi-channel go-to-market model combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce (a Shopify-based storefront listing 321 products), physical retail shops and market stalls across Ireland (including the original Cork's English Market location), wholesale B2B supply to restaurants, delis, and retailers, and a walk-in pizzeria/café at the Toons Bridge site. Customers can collect online orders from 7 pickup locations across Ireland. Pricing is in euros across unit-priced retail SKUs, with payment options including American Express, Klarna, Maestro, Mastercard, Union Pay, and Visa; fresh products such as buffalo mozzarella are collection-only.

The company serves two primary segments: food enthusiasts and quality-conscious consumers seeking premium Irish-made and Mediterranean artisan products, and wholesale/retail businesses (restaurants, cafes, delis, and retail stores) sourcing specialty ingredients. The firm is small (5 employees), privately held, owner-operated, and has no external institutional investment, M&A activity, or public listing. Its competitive positioning rests on its first-mover status as Ireland's only buffalo mozzarella producer, its 30+ years of presence in Cork's food market ecosystem, and a stream of industry awards including Great Taste Awards and Blas na hÉireann Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards in 2025.

Name

Toons Bridge Dairy

Legal name

The Real Olive Company Limited

Website

https://toonsbridgedairy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Toons Bridge Dairy is an Irish artisan cheesemaker and specialty food retailer in Co. Cork producing over 15 cheese varieties, including Ireland's first buffalo mozzarella, complemented by a Mediterranean food portfolio sold via e-commerce, retail shops, market stalls, wholesale, and an on-site pizzeria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese and Specialty Foods

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAL)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese production
• Buffalo mozzarella dairy
• Mediterranean specialty foods
• Irish creamery products
• Specialty food retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Toons Bridge, Macroom

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Retail Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through Shopify e-commerce platform with 321 products including cheeses, Mediterranean foods, wines, oils, and specialty groceries.
2. Physical Retail: Sales through company-owned shops and market stalls across Ireland, including Cork's English Market.
3. Wholesale Distribution: B2B wholesale supply to other retailers and foodservice businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Toons Bridge Dairy is an artisan cheese producer and Mediterranean specialty food retailer based in West Cork, Ireland. It produces over 15 varieties of cheese — including Ireland's first buffalo mozzarella (since 2009) — at its Toons Bridge creamery, and complements these with an extensive portfolio of imported Mediterranean foods (olive oils, balsamic vinegars, olives, dips, cured meats, tinned fish, wines) sold through its own e-commerce shop, physical retail stalls, and wholesale B2B channels.

Product overview

Toons Bridge Dairy is a food retail business operated by Toby Simmonds and Jenny-Rose Clarke, combining Toons Bridge Dairy (cheese-making and buffalo farming in West Cork) with The Real Olive Company (Mediterranean food import and retail established in Cork's English Market in 1993). The core offering centers on over 15 buffalo and cow's milk cheeses made in their Toons Bridge creamery, including their signature buffalo mozzarella (Ireland's first), complemented by an extensive Mediterranean food portfolio featuring extra virgin olive oils, artisan balsamic vinegars, tinned fish from Portugal, Spanish cured meats, imported olives, fresh daily dips and hummus, wines, and specialty pantry items. They operate physical shops and market stalls across Ireland with online ordering and pickup from 7 locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Buffalo Mozzarella (125g) Toons Bridge Dairy's signature fresh buffalo mozzarella made from water buffalo milk — recognised as Ireland's first buffalo mozzarella (produced since 2009) and awarded 2 stars at the Great Taste Awards 2023. Sold as a 125g unit; available collection-only due to freshness.
• Toons Bridge Cheese Range Range of over 15 artisan cheeses made in the Toons Bridge creamery from buffalo and cow's milk, including buffalo ricotta, Cacio Cavallo, scamorza, stracciatella, and Greek-style cheese. Sold via the dairy's online shop and wholesale channels to retail and foodservice buyers.
• Fresh Dips and Hummus Daily-made fresh dips including Lemon & Garlic, Sicilian and Spicy hummus, Basil, Sun-dried Tomato and Smoked Sun-dried Tomato pesto, and tapenades. Sold in retail sizes (e.g., Italian Basil Pesto 180g at €7.00, 650g at €16.50) for direct consumers and foodservice.
• Olives Extensive range of olives sold by weight, including marinated varieties (Garlic & Thyme, Chili & Herbs, Parsley & Rosemary), stuffed olives (Peppers, Almond, Chili, Anchovy), and plain options. Targeted at retail customers and foodservice operators.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oils Premium extra virgin olive oils sourced from Mediterranean regions including Aragon Empeltre, Crete, Sierra de Gata (Extremadura), and organic Portuguese Terras de Camoes varieties. Bottling takes place at the Bandon warehouse. Sold through retail and wholesale channels.
• Balsamic Vinegars Artisan balsamic vinegars sourced from Modena, Italy, including 3-year aged (€6), 12-year aged (€12.50, awarded 1 star at Great Taste Awards 2025), and IGP 700ml varieties. Bottled at the Bandon warehouse and sold via the online shop, retail stalls, and wholesale.
• Tinned Fish Premium Portuguese tinned fish including sardines (Nuri, Porthos, Briosa, Dama brands), mackerel, tuna, and specialty items in various sauces. Sold through the online shop and wholesale distribution.
• Cured Meats Spanish and Italian cured meats including Iberian Jamon, Chorizo (brands such as Torre de Nunez and Nieto Martin), Bresaola, Prosciutto, and salamis. Sold via the online shop, market stalls, and wholesale channels.
• Wines Selection of Italian and Spanish wines including reds (Cannonau, Montepulciano, Bovale), whites (Vermentino, Pecorino, Vernaccia), and rosé varieties, with many organic options. Sold through the online shop and at retail/market locations.
• Toons Bridge Pizza (Walk-in Pizzeria and Café) Walk-in pizzeria and café located at the Toons Bridge creamery site, serving pizzas made with the dairy's own buffalo mozzarella and fresh ingredients. Reservations handled via the Tablepath online booking system.
• Wholesale Distribution Service B2B wholesale supply of specialty cheeses, olive oils, vinegars, cured meats, and Mediterranean foods to restaurants, cafes, delis, and retail stores across Ireland. Channels enquiries via [email protected].

Quantifiable outcome

• Made Ireland's first buffalo mozzarella
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Real Olive Company LimitedcoreOthersRelated company entity - both Toons Bridge Dairy and The Real Olive Company are operated by Toby Simmonds and Jenny-Rose Clarke. The Real Olive Company imports, makes, retails and wholesales Mediterranean foods. Privacy policy references data sharing between The Real Olive Company Limited, Toons Bridge Dairy Limited, and The Sandwich Stall Limited.
• The Sandwich Stall LimitedminorOthersRelated company entity sharing data under privacy policy. Mentioned in privacy policy as one of the businesses data may be shared with.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering the company's online shop with 321 products. Powered by Shopify branding visible on website footer.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Avoca: Established Irish artisan food, gift, and café retailer with multiple locations and strong own-brand product range — operates in similar Irish specialty food retail and hampers category with broader lifestyle positioning.
• La Fromagerie: London-based specialist cheesemonger and wholesaler with shops and foodservice supply focused on artisan and farmstead cheeses — broader UK incumbent operating in adjacent premium retail/wholesale space.
• Neal's Yard Dairy: UK's leading specialist cheese wholesaler and retailer, operating shops, online sales, and maturing affineurs — a larger, more established player in the British Isles artisan cheese retail/wholesale space where Toons Bridge competes at a smaller scale.

Direct peers

• Coolea Farmhouse Cheese: Irish farmhouse producer of Coolea (a Gouda-style cheese) with strong export presence into UK and US — comparable Irish-origin artisan brand competing in similar premium cheese and foodservice segments.
• Ardrahan Cheese: Long-standing Irish farmhouse cheese producer based in North Cork selling through Irish retail, delis, and export — direct category peer for Toons Bridge's artisan cheese line.
• Sheridans Cheesemongers: Long-established Irish specialist cheesemonger and food retailer with shops, online sales, and wholesale supply of artisan cheeses and Mediterranean foods — competes head-on with Toons Bridge's combined retail/wholesale Mediterranean + cheese proposition.
• Fallon & Byrne: Dublin-based specialty food retailer and restaurant operator with strong artisan cheese, Mediterranean, and deli offering — directly comparable Irish multi-channel specialty food business.
• Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers: Irish farmhouse cheesemaker best known for Cashel Blue, distributing through Irish retail, foodservice, and export channels — directly comparable artisan dairy business with similar multi-channel GTM in Ireland.
• Gubbeen Farmhouse Cheese: Family-run Irish artisan farmhouse cheesemaker based in West Cork producing a range of cow's and goat's milk cheeses — operates the same region and category as Toons Bridge Dairy with direct foodservice and retail distribution in Ireland.

Regional players

• Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP producers (e.g., La Marca / Casearia): Italian producers of buffalo mozzarella holding Campania DOP status — competing category in the same product (buffalo mozzarella) but operating from the traditional Italian heartland with much larger production scale and an export-ready DOP-protected identity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/toonsbridge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/toons-bridge-dairy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Toons Bridge Dairy