Dairy Crest has today announced that their Davidstow creamery site in North Cornwall will receive a £75 million boost – a move which will secure 200 jobs and provide confidence to 330 farmers.
The investment is part of a total £85 million programme which will see the Davidstow site processing an additional 200 million litres of milk every year and an increase in cheese production to a maximum capacity 77,000 tonnes.
The Chief Executive, Mark Allen, said the extra £75 million would be a real confidence boost to employees, with farmers also being able to invest in their businesses and increase productivity. The investment will also see the Davidstow plant becoming self-sufficient in water use by reducing usage and increasing recycling. A solar farm will also be installed to provide electricity to the site, equivalent to enough power for 400 homes.
Mark Allen said:
“Dairy Crest is proud of the role it plays in the economy of the South West, and this £85 million investment is a vote of confidence in the Cathedral City brand, our employees and our farmers. The partnership we have with our farmers is absolutely crucial to our business and this investment should give them the confidence to invest in their own businesses, increase their productivity and enhance their important role in protecting the rural environment.
“As a major local employer, we are committed to being a responsible member of the community in Davidstow, and we have planned this investment carefully to minimise the impact of our creamery on the local environment and to become self-sufficient in water use. This is good news for the economy of the South West and for Britain’s farming sector. We hope that this investment will increase confidence and resilience when and where it is needed most.”
MP for North Cornwall and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dairy, Scott Mann, described the investment as a boost in certainty for farmers who want to plan for the long term.
Scott Mann said:
“This is fantastic news and a real confidence boost for the 200 employees at Davidstow, all their dairy farmers and supply chain businesses. Farming can be an uncertain industry and this is exactly the sort of news which will give them the confidence to invest in their businesses and plan for the long term.
“Dairy Crest is one of North Cornwall’s biggest employers and produces some of the UK’s leading brands which we can be very proud of. This investment not only secures 200 jobs, but also all the jobs which indirectly rely on Davidstow through supply chains and those who are employed on the 330 farms which supply milk for the site.”
