Micheal Lenihan and Jessica Clinton, both chefs with over 15 years experience, set up their business over four years ago when they noticed a gap in the market for wholesale luxury desserts and bespoke desserts including gluten-free dairy free and vegan products. They now produce desserts for restaurants all over Kerry to the restaurant’s recipes, allowing them to keep their unique dessert menu and to reduce costs. All the Ballyhar Foods staff are qualified pastry chefs and they run their business like a large pastry kitchen as opposed to a factory setting. Everything is handmade from scratch and no pre-mixed products are used.

They’ve won numerous awards including Blas na hEireann gold award for gluten-free brownies; 2014 Blas na hEireann New Kerry Producer of the Year 2014 and SKDP Business of the Year 2014. They were also a Kerry Enterprise Board Finalist for Business of the Year 2016.