Tirlán Expands U.S. Reach with Costco Butter Deal

Tirlán, an Irish dairy cooperative, has expanded its footprint in the United States by securing a distribution deal with retail giant Costco for its Truly Grass Fed butter. This strategic move is part of Tirlán's plan to accelerate growth within high-income natural food channels in the U.S. market, as detailed in their 2025 annual report.

Costco, known for its extensive warehouse club network spanning 14 countries, offers a significant distribution opportunity for Tirlán's products. The Truly Grass Fed brand was introduced to the U.S. market in 2019 and has been available in Costco stores since last year. This agreement is timely, given the record-setting demand for butter in the U.S., where per capita consumption reached 6.8 pounds in 2024, as reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The U.S. butter market is currently led by the domestic brand Land O'Lakes, with Kerrygold, another Irish brand produced by Ornua, holding the second position. The popularity of Kerrygold underscores the strong demand for Irish grass-fed butter among American consumers.

Tirlán's overall financial performance has been robust, reporting a 10% increase in total revenue to €2.94 billion in 2025. This growth has been supported by international sales, including 415,000 tonnes of dairy ingredients, contributing to a 13% rise in revenue for this category.

Despite the significance of the Costco deal, Tirlán has opted to keep specific details of the arrangement confidential. A spokesperson for the cooperative stated that they do not comment on agreements with individual commercial customers.