Dairy Cheese Technologist Debuts First Irish-Made Vegan Yogurt Line

New company Schull & Crossbones recently launched vegan yogurt line Coconut Treasure in Ireland. The brand was founded by Irish-native Danny O’Regan, who spent most of his career working in Australia as a “cheese technologist” and scientist that formulated starter bacteria for dairy-based products.“The idea for the business was borne out of necessity and backed by experience,” O’Regan told the Irish Times. “Both my parents were not in the best of health in 2014 and at the peak of my mother’s illness, I was a useless eldest son in Melbourne, so I decided to move back to Schull. There’s no work for someone with my background in Schull so I knew I’d have to set something up myself.” Coconut Treasure yogurt is made with Indonesian coconuts, tapioca starch, and starter culture, and is flavored with fruit purees with no added sugar. While other vegan yogurt brands are available in the country, Coconut Treasure is the first to be produced in Ireland, and O’Regan hopes the product line will tap into the “free-from” (or allergen-friendly) market, which is predicted to grow to €50 million ($57.9 million) by 2021. The entrepreneur plans to expand his distribution in Ireland and export the coconut yogurt line to other countries in three years.