Tara and Michael Breen moved back to Dungarvan, Michael's home town, in November 2002. They have both had a variety filled and challenging life in quite a few countries; USA, Hong Kong and the UK to name but three.

Tara expressed frustration at the quality, availability and affordability of fresh food in Ireland, a country quite rightly proud of its agricultural economy. From an Indian family she was keen on Asian snack foods and when she found that many Irish people were very keen to try new tastes, she started to experiment.

She tried baking a few cakes; they went down very well with the locals. A "passion" cake derived from a Norwegian friend's family recipe book with quite a few tasty additions was a particular hit. After months of nagging from husband Michael, a recent MBA graduate from a leading UK business school, she baked some cookies; they too received a very warm reception. A few more tastings interrupted by a distinction in a teaching diploma from the College of Commerce in Cork, determined that Tara's Handmade Quality Foods was born.

From September 2002 the couple worked tirelessly to perfect the recipes and find somewhere to bake them. The move to Dungarvan led them down the road to The Abbey where a recently retired kitchen was revived to active duty. With the help of some exceptionally keen locals the couple decided to start trying to "really sell these things" in January 2003.

Lots of driving, many late nights and early mornings with Coffee Shops, Speciality Deli's and restaurants up and down the country clamouring for their uniquely fresh products - the die was cast. In March 2003 they were delivering twice a week to Cork and weekly to Dublin and Galway.

IFEX 2003 (at Dublin's RDS) marked the launch of four new products (Apple & Brandy cake and Tara's Chocolate Torte alongside Namkin and Razzapple). Tara Michael et al, now distribute a range of tasty soft drinks, make snack foods as above, and of course still deliver (with unrivalled reliability) their fresh range of cakes and cookies. The local community has proved very supportive to the couple, and the business has built a very good reputation in food service circles.

Customers as diverse as Kylemore countrywide, Dail Eireann in Dublin, Butler's Chocolate Cafe's, The Opera House in Cork, Avoca in Dublin and of course Butlers and Jitterbeans in Dungarvan now carry our range. The IFEX experience means Tara's now delivers to Dublin twice weekly.

2006 saw Tara's total of international Great Taste Awards reach 11 - having won every year since first entering in 2003.

Tara's Handmade Quality Foods are striving to continuously improve fresh food quality standards, and they are working tirelessly with the customer in mind.

On the 5th April 2006 RTE featured Tara's Foods on the 'Nationwide' TV programme. The programme featured a behind the scenes look at our company and an interview with our founder Tara Breen.