The Allen family has been at the forefront of quality Irish food since Myrtle Allen opened Ballymaloe House in 1964. Over the years, the business has expanded into several ventures, including Ballymaloe Foods, founded by Myrtle’s daughter, Yasmin Hyde, in 1990. Today, third-generation managers Rosie and Maxine Hyde, both Yasmin’s daughters and mums themselves, bring their own experience to the family business, understanding the challenges parents face in feeding children well.
Ballymaloe sauces and relishes are now part of thousands of school meals across Ireland. Through a partnership with school lunch provider The Lunch Bag, their wholesome tomato sauce now reaches 600,000 children nationwide.
Rosie Hyde’s connection to food began early, growing up immersed in the family business.
“My sister and I worked as waitresses at Ballymaloe House when we were kids. Max and I even shared one full job between us when I was 11 or 12.
“Our grandmother was an incredible role model. With 22 grandchildren, she guided us with kindness, correcting us subtly when needed. She was a trailblazer who taught us not to stick to the norm, if you see a better way, try it. If it doesn’t work, try again. That mindset has stayed with me in business, especially when leading a team. She showed us to think outside the box and trust our own ideas.”
Rosie’s entry into the legendary family food industry was anything but typical. “I took a funny path,” she explains. “I studied Veterinary and later specialized as an equine surgeon in the States. I was working in that role until I became pregnant with my first child. During maternity leave, Max asked if I’d help out a bit with the business, just like you do with family business, you roll up your sleeves and do whatever needs to be done.”
At first, Rosie intended to return to her surgical career. “I had my calendar planned around the baby, then after he was born I found myself back working with Max again.
She faced a logistical challenge if she was going to go back to work as a vet. “My surgery job required being up at night for operations. My husband is also a vet, working in Cork, while my role was based in Tipperary. I thought about hiring a nanny to travel with me, but eventually I realized it just wasn’t going to work. So I hired another surgeon as my replacement and fully committed to the family business.
Today, Rosie and Maxine bring different strengths to the table. “Max is brilliant at sales and marketing, while my focus is more on operations, the black-and-white, less creative side. We complement each other, each bringing what the other doesn’t have. I’m working here for nearly nine years now”
I’ve always loved food. Growing up, we learned the value of quality ingredients and making everything from scratch. Even while training as a surgeon in America, I stayed connected to the business, helping with distribution and attending food shows on weekends for the relish. From a young age, I was involved, tagging along to trade and consumer shows with my mum since I was tiny.
Over 600,000 schoolchildren now enjoy Ballymaloe’s award-winning sauce in their daily lunches, following the company’s partnership with Lunch Bag According to Rosie, the collaboration came about in an unexpected way.
“We met the team at a trade show,” she explained. “They didn’t realize we also made a range of pasta sauces, which they like to use as base sauces to create lots of different meals. We gave them a few types to try, and their nutritionist helped choose the one that worked best for their menus. That’s how it all started.”
“They were looking for a clean-label product with great nutritional value, and that’s exactly what we offer. We put so much care and attention into making our sauces – just like you would at home, only on a bigger scale. There are no fancy technologies, just simple cooking done well.”
“I have three kids myself, and I care deeply about what they eat. Knowing there are good options out there is a real relief – not just for my children but for all kids. It’s something we definitely want to stay involved in because it has such a positive impact.”
Scaling up production to meet demand required careful planning. “There are around 600,000 meals a month using our pasta sauce,” Rosie said. “We knew this was coming because the government had announced the rollout early, and Lunch Bag kept us informed about their tender process and projected growth.
“We did need to invest in new cookers to boost our capacity, but we’re always planning for growth. You can’t just click your fingers and install new equipment, we plan years ahead to stay one step ahead of demand. Thankfully, we were ready when they were ready to go.”
Rosie believes awareness of food labeling is improving, partly thanks to social media, but warns that not all advice online is reliable.
“I grew up reading labels and understanding ingredients, so it’s second nature to me,” she says. “But not everyone knows the difference between highly processed and minimally processed foods. Social media helps spread awareness, but you need to think critically, does what I’m hearing make sense? If someone tells you something simple, like milk, is bad for you, trust your judgment.”
On whether children should be taught more about food and nutrition in school, Rosie is clear:“Absolutely. The Lunch Bag team is already including little bits of nutritional information on their packs to help educate kids, which I think is brilliant. My own children are starting to recognise quality and make their own choices, which is so important. My grandmother always said, if you lose everything, all you have left is your body and what you fuel it with matters. We should teach kids to value good food over fancy labels or trends and invest in their health first.”
Rosie’s children are eight, six and three. While she teaches them about quality food, she admits balance is essential.
“There are times when they’ll have something considered junk food,” she said. “But I’m not so strict that I take away all the happiness. Even with treats like chocolate, I show them the difference between good and poor quality options. Kids understand more than we think.”
She empathises with other parents, admitting that getting children to eat well is a challenge for everyone. “It kills me how they follow the leader, if the eldest says he doesn’t like a vegetable, the others copy. So I offer choices. If I’m making a salad, I leave some veg like cucumber, peppers, tomatoes separately so they can pick what they like.
“I also blitz vegetables into sauces, like mushrooms in a bolognese, so they’re still getting nutrients. I don’t hide everything completely; I leave some chunks so they can choose. Over time, their tastes change, but small tricks help.
“For example, none of them love cooked carrots, but they love raw carrots. So that’s what I give them. It’s all about finding what works.”
Rosie doesn’t feel pressured by the legacy she has inherited as the third generation in Ireland’s leading food dynasty. Instead, she feels empowered. “I feel so lucky to have seen such good examples,” she said. “It’s given me this belief that I can do anything, as long as I’m shown how. There are things I’m not naturally good at, but I don’t think there’s anything I can’t learn.”
While important decisions can carry weight, Rosie trusts her instincts. “Sometimes I think, ‘I hope my grandmother would be proud of this decision,’ especially in manufacturing when pricing matters. But, like my mother, she was practical. They’d understand choosing an option that gets our products on shelves at an accessible price, so more people can enjoy them. That’s what matters.”
When asked about the challenges posed by multinationals’ massive buying power, Rosie acknowledged the difficulty but emphasized quality and choice:
“Multinationals can make things much cheaper, especially abroad where wages are lower and raw materials are closer. But all we can do is offer our option. I completely understand that families make choices based on cost, sometimes you save in one area and spend a bit more in another.
“All we can do is be there as a better quality, clean label option for those who want it. Maybe they choose us one day and a multinational the next. We just hope they see the difference and the value.”
There’s no shortage of innovation in the family. Rosie shared exciting plans for next year that will be a feast for busy parents:
“Maxine and I know the struggle of feeding kids while juggling work, homework, and bedtime. We’re using our pasta sauces as a starting point for curries, shepherd’s pies, and more. It saves time, you don’t have to sweat over onions. We’re launching a 100 recipe sauce range that cuts prep by 20 minutes and can be turned into whatever meal you need.”
Sustainability has always been at the heart of the family business. Rosie says it was important to their grandmother and remains a guiding principle today.
“People probably already see us as a sustainable brand, but we’re always asking ourselves how we can do better. We try to source Irish vegetables where possible, but seasonal availability is a challenge, and we don’t have an IQF (quick freezing technology) plant here to preserve them for year-round use. If we did, local producers could supply vegetables all year.”
She adds that there are opportunities to explore locally grown alternatives: “For example, we import cranberries, but they could grow in the Midlands on boggy land. I’ve tried reaching out to see if anyone could start production here, but it’s not easy. There’s so much potential if infrastructure and support were better connected.”
Rosie emphasizes continuous improvement:
“Every year we challenge ourselves to reduce energy, water, and waste. We’re installing solar panels soon and always look for ways to do better. It’s great to see the focus on sustainability, hopefully before it’s too late on a global scale.”
