Sheldon was positive about the future for British dairying, citing Dairy Crest’s market-leading Cathedral City cheese as a great example of how investment in innovation and brands can secure a ‘virtuous circle’ for farmers, processors and consumers. (Cathedral City has grown annual sales by over £250m over the last 20 years.)
“The last 20 years have seen an enormous amount of consolidation and change within the British dairy sector,” said Sheldon. “This has meant fewer farmers and processors operating in an increasingly competitive global market. The change might have been uncomfortable at times, but 20 years on, the outlook is good. Innovation is key to the success of both producers and processors.
“Dairy Crest has changed with the times. Since the end of the Milk Marketing Boards in 1994 and the flotation of Dairy Crest on the stock market two years later, our focus has been on consumer-led innovation and building successful British brands such as Cathedral City and Frijj. We aim to add value to milk, and while we process the same amount of milk as we did 20 years ago our sales have virtually doubled.
“We have plans in place to continue to grow added value sales, including a £45m investment to produce demineralised whey powder at our Davidstow Creamery, in North Cornwall. We want to continue to strengthen our relationship with the dairy farmers who supply us.”
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