Arla Foods launches review into UK speciality cheese site
- Arla Foods has announced it will be undertaking a strategic operational review of its Melton Mowbray site
- Arla Melton Mowbray Creamery UK is a speciality cheese site that employs around 60 people
Today (22 January), Arla Foods, the UK’s largest dairy cooperative has announced it will be undertaking a strategic operational review of its speciality cheese site at Melton Mowbray.
Arla Melton Mowbray Creamery UK, also known locally as Tuxford & Tebbutt, currently employs around 60 people. During the review process, the business will be exploring the market for any buyers of its Melton Mowbray creamery.
The Melton Mowbray site will continue to be operational during this time, and there will be no impact to production, customers, or employees.
Fran Ball, VP of production at Arla Foods, said: “At Arla we are committed to supporting all colleagues through periods of change and we understand that today’s announcement will bring a sense of uncertainty for those who work at Melton Mowbray and those who work directly with the site team.
“Over the last few years, the speciality cheese market in the UK, which includes Stilton, has continued to decline, and as a farmer owned cooperative, we are therefore looking at what this means for our business so we can continue to return a fair price back to our 2,000 UK farmer owners.
“Here at Arla Foods, we are proud of the heritage that we have from our creameries across the UK. We are privileged to employ some of the finest cheese makers in the country, which includes those at our Arla Melton Mowbray Creamery UK.
“We’d like to reassure shoppers that there will be no impact to the supply of our products, during this review period.”
The dairy cooperative expects to be providing an update on the review by April 2024.