Tyrone man turns lockdown project into successful US business

A TYRONE man living in New York has turned a lockdown project into one of the most popular Irish food delivery services in the US.

Niall Boyle, from Beragh, and his business partner Noel Kerin are the founders of Irish Breakfast Box, a company that ships the best of Irish fry-ups directly to customers’ doors.

Their idea was born in 2021, after the bar that the pair run in Midtown Manhattan, called The Blasket, was closed during the Covid lockdown.

Mr Boyle, a former pupil of Omagh CBS, had studied Environmental Sciences at Ulster University but found work hard to find. Wanting a fresh challenge, he decided New York would be the place to go.

First arriving Stateside 15 years ago, he soon found work as a barman and eventually managed pubs in Manhattan. This is how the Tyrone man met his eventual business partner Mr Kerin, who hails from Co Clare.

Coming from a family of entrepreneurs in Beragh, with his father Seamus operating his own business, Mr Boyle said he always wanted to work for himself.

He said, “I had some great mentors in business when I first moved to New York. I didn’t have that many connections and I had to work my way up to start managing bars.

“That’s how I met Noel, my now business partner in the Blasket Pub and the Irish Breakfast Box. He was working as a barman on the same street I was and we became friends. Now my wife always jokes that I see and talk to him more than anybody else!”

Opportunity

He added, “I love living in New York. I met my wife here and I am raising a family in the city.

“Manhattan is full of opportunity and it is far easier to make connections and build a business. Don’t get me wrong, the work is hard and the hours are long, but the rewards can be massive.”

Mr Boyle first began running The Blasket, a popular modern Irish bar, over six years ago. The pub offers food and drinks to both New Yorkers and ex-pats with live music and Irish music sessions in a modern environment. Like many other businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, the bar was forced to close. With more time on their hands, the business partners started their latest venture, ‘Irish Breakfast Box’.

The company has grown from strength-to-strength since the pair sent out a small testing group to friends and family.

The meats for the breakfast boxes are specially made by a butcher in New York, who is from Ireland. The teas, beans and breads are imported from Ireland and all of the produce is organic.

Some of the boxes even include fresh eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes.

‘Irish Breakfast Box’ deliveries are available in every American state, except Hawaii and Alaska. Many of the orders come from people in Ireland who want to send a gift to their friends or family in the US.

Thousands of the boxes are shipped out annually. Each is still hand-packed and overseen by them.

Mr Boyle said, “At Irish Breakfast Box, we believe that every morning should start with a taste of Ireland, and our curated boxes bring the heart-warming flavours of Irish breakfast to homes across America. The boxes contain anything anyone would need to make an Irish fry, including black pudding and homemade potato and soda bread.

“Noel mentioned to me that he could not get the ingredients for a Irish fry and that it was illegal to import certain types of black pudding. So we decided to put together the box and test it out with around 20 friends in New York.

“We found a butcher in New York from Co Kerry who made his own pudding and people really enjoyed it.”

Popular

According to Mr Boyle, New York is the most popular state for deliveries but a lot of orders are also placed for California, Texas and Milwaukee. They are selling up to 300 boxes a week and even more on special occasions like St Patrick’s Day and Father’s Day.

“Our commitment to quality and authenticity sets Irish Breakfast Box apart, ensuring that customers receive a true taste of Ireland’s rich culinary heritage with each delivery,” Mr Boyle added.

To find out more about ‘Irish Breakfast Box’ or The Blasket, you can visit the Instagram pages, @irishbreakfastbox and @theblasketpub.