MILISH BAKERY
MUFFINS CRAFTED WITH CREATIVITY AND CARE Powered by Inside Food & Drink
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MILISH BAKERY
I PROFILE
With a history as rich as its muffins, Milish Bakery has been baking scrumptious treats for more than 60 years. Milish’s strong roots within Dublin’s historic high street bakeries is an important part of that journey, and the bakery has recently updated its name to reflect this. Sales Director Gillian Wilson spoke exclusively to Inside Food & Drink to explain more about this exciting development. Report by Imogen Ward.
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I
nitially set up by Kitty Coghlan and her brother Liam in 1959, as KC
Confectionary, the company took Dublin’s fresh bakery sector by storm. Under the management of current Owner Liam Coghlan Jr, the bakery continued to evolve. After Liam Jr took over the business in 1989, the bakery went through a major rebrand, changing its name to Milish Foods (Inspired by the Gaelic Cáca Milis, meaning sweet cake). The new name brought with it a change in direction for the bakery, and its
externally – to let
renowned specialism of muffins and
people know we are
scones was born.
a fabulous specialist
Now, with its 65th anniversary around the
bakery. That’s what the
corner, Milish has transformed once again:
new brand is all about. Over
this time to embrace a rich heritage and
the past few months, we have
the skill set of an amazing team. Under the
modernised the whole brand and
name Milish Bakery, the company has lots
launched our new website.
of exciting things planned. “Milish is a craft bakery, and the people
“We’ve already had amazing feedback. What’s even more special is the enthu-
here have such pride in what they do,”
siasm of the team: there’re people who
said Sales Director Gillian Wilson. “We
have worked here for over 30 years, and
really wanted to communicate that
the rebrand has lifted everyone spirits.”
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MILISH BAKERY
I PROFILE
Dedicated to Dublin
Thanks to Milish’s dedication to the craft,
Milish’s state-of-the-art facility in Dublin
the bakery can adjust each recipe to best
covers 3,500 sqm and is home to 100
suit its customers, producing muffins and
passionate employees. With the help of
scones that are unique and retain that
these individuals, the bakery has hon-
authentic homemade feel.
oured its history with the perfect blend of
Batch-baking is also an essential step
modern and traditional techniques that
in Milish’s recipe for success. “Rather
leave consumers wanting more.
than running a fully mechanised production
“Liam has always been committed to pro-
line with external variables, we batch-
viding premium quality,” said Ms Wilson. “Of
bake all our products,” Ms Wilson said.
course, we could buy a lot of machinery
“In doing so, we can tweak the process
and focus in on the efficiency of that, but in
to ensure a premium bake every time.”
doing so, that premium essence would be
When it comes to making the perfect
lost. Liam will only invest in machines that
muffin or scone, the ingredients list is
retain the core quality of each product.
crucial. Milish believes in supporting
“The traditional methods go right back to Kitty Coghlan in her shed. We don’t use premix for anything; we make every
sustainable baking, and in doing so always aims to purchase fresh ingredients locally and direct from growers.
recipe from scratch with fresh
All the chocolate within Milish’s muffins
ingredients, and even
is Rainforest Alliance Certified, and the
blend our own cocoa powder mixes.”
company only purchases palm oil from sustainably certified sources. The bakery’s packaging is also made from previously recycled material that can be recycled once again.
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Unique muffins for the UK
site is a huge asset to us because
Milish is fully equipped to handle any
buying land in Dublin is an almost
future increases in demand. Not only is
impossible feat.”
the bakery’s current facility prepped to
Future facilities are not the only potential
generate the business’ target of double
expansion on the cards for Milish. Having
the current production output, but the
previously broken into the UK market, the
building also has space for an additional
bakery is hoping to further expand its
production line. Should even more space
presence there.
be required, the bakery has an additional plan in place. “If we reach full capacity, we also own
“As a business, Milish has supplied the UK market for a number of years,” said Ms Wilson, “but there are still a lot of UK-
a large greenfield site next door,” Ms
based buyers that don’t even know who
Wilson explained. “It has already been
we are or what we do. This really solidified
fitted with basic foundations, so dou-
our decision to rebrand and expand.
bling the size of our factory with a pur-
“In a time of the cost-of-living crisis
pose-built facility would be a quick and
and the pressures on health, now more
straightforward process. The greenfield
than ever people need an affordable
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MILISH BAKERY
I PROFILE
indulgence. We believe that’s what we
recipes, we always consider local flavours
bring to the market, and we are seeing
and tastes. At the moment we make blue-
a growing demand for that.”
berry and hemp muffins for the Danish market: those aren’t sold anywhere else
Regional recipes
because it is very specific to that country’s
Innovation is also a big factor of Milish’s
tastes. We even made a promotional line
operations, with product development a
of egg liqueur muffins for a customer in
continuous endeavour. The bakery even
Germany this year.
accounts for the varying tastes and preferences of each market. “We’re very
Ingenious inventions:
aware that the same flavours don’t suit every region,” Ms Wilson said. “When developing new
Over the years, Milish has developed some amazing and downright unusual product ideas; some of which include the fantastical unicorn muffins and the more daring pink lemonade muffins that come complete with their own sugar-crafted straws.
Everybody thought we were mad, but that product is perfect for that market.” This year, the bakery also successfully launched vegan muffins, which look, taste and feel like a standard muffin.
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These creative developments would
that is unique to them is what makes
not be possible without Milish’s ingeni-
us special. From our choice of paper
ous product development team.
cases to ingredients and unique top-
“We have an amazing NPD team run by Technical Director Gary McCarney,” said Ms Wilson. “He’s been working for the
pings, we can adjust every element to our clients’ requirements.” When discussing her role at Milish,
company for over 20 years, and there’s
Ms Wilson’s joy really shone through: “It’s
nothing about a muffin or a scone that
a fantastic place to work: everyone here
Gary doesn’t know. The entire team is
has so much passion and care, and they
exceptionally experienced and isn’t
really love what they do. They care about
afraid to develop new products or adapt
the quality, and having a skilled team that is
our old recipes.
committed and takes pride in the excellence
“For a lot of bakeries within the food industry, it’s all about efficiency and
of a product really makes all the difference. “For Milish it’s all about craft, care and
driving the prices down. That is important
passion with every bake,” she concluded.
of course; we also have efficiencies and
“That ethos has worked for us since 1959
offer value for money, but we believe that
and will continue to do so in our next
our ability to give customers a product
chapter as Milish Bakery.”
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