The farmer owned dairy business Arla Foods UK, will be making its biggest ever investment of over £179M into its Devon creamery at Taw Valley, to enable it to export mozzarella that can be used for the likes of pizza toppings around the world, in the next three years. The investment will create more than 100 jobs.
This major investment supports the development of the British dairy industry by facilitating export out of the country – an inherent issue in the UK today.
Speaking about the announcement, Bas Padberg, managing director of Arla Foods UK, said: “Today is a momentous occasion for our UK business, and we are proud to be announcing this major investment news. We want to become a major player within the global mozzarella market, but to do this we need to invest in state-of-the-art technology. This is why we will be making major upgrades and changes to Taw Valley Creamery in Devon, which will allow us to sell our mozzarella globally.”
Today’s news also highlights Arla’s support for facilitating increased demand for dairy products, globally. Bas Padberg continues: “Exporting our product helps to increase the value of farmers’ milk, which will therefore benefit our farmer owners, here in the UK. As one of the biggest food companies in the UK, it is only natural that we look for further opportunities to grow so we can continue to return a fair price back to our farmer owners.”
Arla Foods UK board director, and Arla farmer, Arthur Fearnall, said: “We are incredibly proud to see the UK business receive this significant investment. We’re excited to see how the plans at Taw Valley Creamery progress over the coming years, as we continue to work together to ensure all Arla farmer owners receive the best price for their milk.”
Arla’s mozzarella business has seen double-digit growth over the last five years, and through investment into new technology, the business hopes to secure long-term competitiveness in the global market.
Morten Boye, global head of foodservice at Arla Foods, adds: “We are coming from a really strong position and we have great collaboration with key pizza customers already. We are, however, not resting on our laurels and we will continue to improve and innovate to maintain our leading position in the category. This investment is a clear signal of our commitment to serving our customers and delivering on our strategy and I am very excited about taking our mozzarella business to the next level.”
The plans to export mozzarella will start in 2027, but over the next two years, Arla will be making significant changes to its Taw Valley Creamery, to allow the cooperative to export.
For more information, visit arlafoods.co.uk
