By Michelle Crean

A popular artisan ice cream company founded 2019 has received  a boost with a bursary from Three Ireland.

Muckross Creamery is one of 10 winners of Three’s 2022 Grants for Small Businesses, securing a portion of a €100,000 bursary to enable them to scale production and increase recruitment.

Run by John Fleming with the help of his family, the fledging business with a green ethos, managed to survive the pandemic and has seen huge business growth.

John is a fifth-generation dairy farmer from Muckross. In 2019 he and his family started making ice cream using their own fresh milk, cream and free-range eggs.

The business sources all ingredients from local suppliers, as well as providing fully sustainable packaging, and are part of the Kerry Social Farming initiative. Following high demand from the hospitality industry, this funding will assist in the purchasing of a new ice cream machine, allowing the business to increase production scales and grow further.

This bursary will be made up of a combination of cash, connectivity solutions from Three Ireland, as well as professional advice and support from Three Ireland’s expert business advisers.

"We received €5,000 in cash and €5,000 worth of business coaching and connectivity solutions," John told the Killarney Advertiser.

"We are delighted to get it. We started in 2019 and didn't know if it was a runner, then COVID hit but it has all kicked on and gone from strength to strength. We only have a small production facility and demand has grown."

He said they have future plans to grow the business.

"Expanding the production facility is the number one aim," he added.

"We also have a pop up ice cream parlour in the old cottage and we're looking to expand that also."