Did you know that all of the cream that gives Baileys its unique taste comes from the Glanbia plant in Virginia? Glanbia has been the sole supplier of cream to Baileys since the relationship began in 1974.

Where the story begins

Baileys was originally developed in the mid-1970’s. It is directly linked to a partnership between GiIbeys of Ireland, which was part of International Distillers and Vintners (IDV), and Virginia Milk Products, which was part of Express Dairies, UK. Both companies were owned by Grand Metropolitan Group, a UK hotel and drinks company.

After launching on the Irish market in 1974, Baileys was launched in the UK followed by The Netherlands and other countries in Western Europe. It was only when Baileys launched in the US in 1979 that demand increased substantially, with the US becoming its largest market by the mid-1980’s.

International growth

As demand for Baileys grew around the world, so too did the investment in the plant at Virginia. In the 1980’s an automated cream blending plant and new laboratories costing £3 million were constructed.

Changes were also made to the manufacturing process in order to improve stability and shelf life. This was driven by demand from warmer markets, such as the US, South America and South Africa. This enhancement was acknowledged as one of the most significant technical advances since Baileys’ original development.

Baileys becomes part of Diageo

Baileys became part of the Diageo portfolio of brands in 1997. Under Diageo, sales of Baileys began another phase of international growth and a second production plant was constructed in Belfast. The plant in Newtownabbey began production in July 2003 with Glanbia supplying cream and casein powder.

As demand for cream grew and milk volumes increased, new plant was added at Virginia. This included a Tetra Pak cream separator in 2006, skim and cream pasteurisers in 2006 and 2009, and cream silos in 2008, 2010 and 2014.

The Diageo Baileys relationship today

Baileys is marketed in 160 countries across the world. In the first five years after launch, 12 million bottles were sold. In 2020, the two billionth bottle was sold, making Baileys the number one selling cream liqueur worldwide. According to the 2020 Brand Finance report, Baileys is the fastest-growing brand in the global spirits category, moving from 29th to 16th place, and valued at US$1.3 billion.

The phenomenal growth and success of the brand is also reflected in the milk figures. In 1974, 227,000 litres of milk was used and the cream was delivered in a single 250-gallon tanker. Today, 200 million litres of milk is used with 10 dedicated tankers delivering to the Diageo plants in Dublin and Belfast.

Diageo recently launched their sustainability strategy, “Society 2030 – Spirit of Progress”. In line with our own developing sustainability agenda, we will partner closely with Diageo to ensure we deliver sustainable growth for both parties.