Ornua acquires Cheshire cheesemaker
Cheshire, UK cheesemaker FJ Need (Foods) has been acquired by Irish agri-food co-operative Ornua. The multi-million pound acquisition was facilitated by legal firm Jolliffe & Co LLP.
Nantwich, UK-based FJ Need supplies dairy products such as grated cheese, diced cheese, sliced cheese, block cheese, speciality cheese, butter and yogurt to the manufacturing, foodservice and wholesale sectors. Its cheese production facility currently produces 16,000 tonnes per year.
Ornua, the Dublin-headquartered owner of brands such as Kerrygold, Shannongold and Pilgrims Choice, has supplied Irish cheese to FJ Need for many years and the acquisition is expected to strengthen this important supply channel.
Kevin Lane, chief executive of Ornua, says, “We are buying an excellent family dairy business which allows us to significantly strengthen our presence in the UK ingredients sector.
“The complementary nature of our customer bases and the potential to further scale the business makes this a strong fit for Ornua. We are looking forward to working to grow the business in the coming years.”
