First Milk expands product range with Kingdom acquisition

The UK dairy First Milk has purchased Kingdom Cheese and Kingdom Dairies, both based in Fife in Scotland, in a move that strengthens its presence in the UK and international cheese markets, the company says.
The acquisition means that, in addition to producing a range of cheddars, First Milk will now be able to offer its customers a selection of cottage cheese, soft cheese, mozzarella products and creams.
Kingdom Dairies produces cottage cheese and soft cheese products for a range of customers including the major retail chains, foodservice wholesalers and food manufacturers. It also supplies foodservice, wholesalers and pizza chains in the UK, Ireland and Europe with mozzarella cheese, cheddar mixes and blends in shredded, grated and diced formats.
Commenting on the acquisition, Kate Allum, First Milk’s chief executive says:
“The acquisition is bang on target with our drive to diversify our product and customer base. It brings cottage cheese, soft cheese and mozzarella products into our range as well as providing us with more opportunities to sell grated cheese products. In addition, the purchase strengthens our retail category presence and delivers a significant presence in the foodservice arena.
“Kingdom has a growing export portfolio, which complements the work on cheese, powder and butter we have been doing recently with Eilers & Wheeler in international markets.