Milk Link to invest 20 million at Lockerbie

UK-based dairy Milk Link is set to invest £20 million in order to make its Lockerbie creamery into the largest dairy processing site in Scotland and one of the largest and most advanced creameries in the UK, as well as creating a strong platform for the expansion of dairying in South West Scotland and the North of England, the company says. Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead and Neil Kennedy, Milk Link’s chief executive, pictured, announced the expansion.

Milk Link, the UK’s largest cheese maker owned by over 1,600 dairy farmers, says the move will make Lockerbie one of the UK’s leading cheddar production facilities. It will benefit from a major redevelopment with the installation of the latest processing technology, which will increase production by 12,000 tonnes to over 37,000 tonnes of cheese per annum. It will complement Milk Link’s other cheddar creameries – Taw Valley in Devon and Llandyrnog in North Wales – and enable the business to meet the growing demand from retailers, foodservice businesses, food processors and export customers for its range of customer label and branded cheeses, butters and dairy ingredients, Milk Link notes.

In line with the new creamery’s increased processing capacity, Milk Link will now be actively recruiting additional members in Scotland and the North of England to supply Lockerbie.

Commenting on the investment Neil Kennedy, chief executive says, “Our investment at Lockerbie will transform the creamery and reinforce Milk Link’s leadership position in the production of high quality British cheeses.

“Work at the creamery will start later this year and will be completed by Autumn 2012. Our decision to invest at Lockerbie reflects the growing demand for our quality British cheeses, the skill and dedication of our staff at Lockerbie and the potential of the South West Scotland and North of England milk field to supply us with increased milk volumes.”