Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onions and season well with salt and pepper. Fry over a high heat for 4 mins or until soft, then reduce the temperature and continue to cook the onions over a low heat for about 10 mins, or until they are caramelised and soft. Remove from the heat. Lakeland Dairies has announced, as part of a new strategic direction for the co-op, the realigning of its processing footprint to maximise operational efficiencies and enhance value-add capabilities for the future. Key Points In Consumer Foods, Lakeland Dairies produces high-quality, wholesome and delicious milk, butter, cream and yogurt products for consumers across the island of Ireland. All of Lakeland Dairies' processing facilities operate to the most stringent international standards of quality and sustainability. These are job losses that the local economy can ill-afford. Monaghan is highly dependent on the agri-food sector and this announcement will have a profound impact," he said.

Lakeland Dairies invested over €350m to support the ambition of our farm families to produce this additional milk and meet the latent demand at farm level for expansion." While this is a difficult decision, it is a crucial one to ensure that Lakeland Dairies is future-proofed and well-positioned to meet the challenges as well as the opportunities of the future." Our Foodservice Division,is a sophisticated dairy foodservice operation with automated, modern production technologies. We offer highly appealing, value-added dairy products for use in food preparation and direct use by our clients’ consumers throughout the international foodservice industry.The industry has come through a period of significant volume growth following the removal of milk quotas in 2015," said Mr Kelly.

As well as the Champion and Ballyrashane brands, liquid milk is supplied to high-profile retail chains across the island. Having come through the difficult years of World War 1 and the post war years under the management of John Daly who steered Lough Egish to heights its founders could only have dreamed of, construction of a new creamery commenced in July 1929 and a year later on 7th July 1930 the new creamery was opened.

Each business unit is supported by an experienced and professional leadership team from operations, procurement and information technology through to marketing, financial services and human resources.This ensures competitiveness and commitment throughout the Group. Lakeland Dairies completed an €11m investment in a new Global Logistics Centre at our major dairy foodservice manufacturing plant in Newtownards, Co. Down. The major new Global Logistics Centre is highly automated with new technology, robotic systems, over 14,000 individual pallet spaces and a simultaneous loading capacity for up to 11 forty-foot container vehicles at any one time. 2016 - Acquisition of Fane Valley Dairies, Banbridge This development expands Lakeland Dairies’ milk pool, creating further efficiencies in the interests of milk producers and strengthening our position in global markets as a leading provider of high quality dairy food ingredients. 2017 - New €48M Milk Dryer Opened at Bailieboro, Co. Cavan In total around 78 jobs will be impacted by the changes, but it is understood that up to half of those workers could be redeployed to other parts of the business. Between now and quarter one of 2025, significant change will be implemented across the Lakeland Dairies business to ensure the co-operative is well placed to meet future market requirements with a realigned processing footprint to match milk supply profiles. This is the first step in a new strategy which will continue to be implemented across the Society in the coming months.

Aubergine: once cold, scoop the flesh from the aubergine into a blender, squeeze one garlic clove out of its paper skin and add to the bowl with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice; blitz until smooth. Add 25g of the cream cheese and 3 tablespoons of the Pour & More Single and briefly blitz again. Transfer to a bowl. The industry has come through a period of significant volume growth following the removal of milk quotas in 2015." Many of our products are designed especially for professional kitchens and foodservice operations. Our portfolio extends from mini portions of butter, to 10 litre containers of luxury long life dairy creams, to convenient individual portions of wholesome long-life milk and frozen ice-cream. We will work closely with them and support them throughout this process in which they will continue to be treated fairly and with respect." The cheese is made using a basket style mould and each wheel weighs approximately 2.6kgs. ButtermilkAs well as catering directly for domestic consumption, Lakeland Dairies exports large volumes of dairy produce to the UK, Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and other international markets. Avocado: mash the avocado with a squeeze of lemon juice, Tabasco and seasoning. Add 25g of the cream cheese and 3 tablespoons of the Pour & More Single and beat until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. With a comprehensive portfolio of 170 different dairy foodservice and food ingredient products, we export to blue-chip customers in 70 countries across the globe. We continue to meet growing global demand for our products with industry leading expertise in long-life UHT technology, ice creams, butterfats, powders, caseins, lactose and whey.

We need co-ordinated action to ensure that there are no further job losses in this sector," he said. We are the sophisticated dairy foodservice operation of Lakeland Dairies’ 100% farmer-owned Co-Operative. For more than 100 years we have been processing the highest quality natural wholesome and nutritious milk, produced in the way nature intended – from cows grazing freely on natural grass grown on the lush pastures of family owned farms - into a range of value added dairy foodservice products. In January of 1990 the Killeshandra Co-Op and the Lough Egish Co-Op came together in a ‘very harmonious merger’ and the name ‘Lakeland Dairies’ was announced by Des Boylan and Pat Flanagan (the Chairmen of the respective Society’s) as the title for the new Co-Operative. 2002 -Bailieborough becomes part of Lakeland Dairies

We have a continuously strong focus on the development and evolution of our technical capabilities through an ongoing investment programme in new technologies and equipment. This is supported through the ongoing training and development of our people and the recruitment of experienced professionals. We do appreciate that this announcement creates uncertainty for our colleagues and their families. We will work closely with them and support them throughout this process in which they will continue to be treated fairly and with respect,” he said. Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys said supports will be put in place to assist workers impacted by today's decision. My thoughts, first and foremost, are with the workers at Lakeland Dairies and their families as they come to terms with this devastating news," she said in a statement. Dozens of jobs in counties Monaghan and Down are under threat as a result of a decision by dairy processing co-op, Lakeland Dairies, to close a number of its facilities.