Rodda’s, the Cornwall-based family dairy producer, is investing £6 million in a new, state-of-the-art cottage cheese facility at its Scorrier site.
The project, which is currently entering the final commissioning phase, will see specialist cottage cheese manufacturing equipment installed alongside Rodda’s existing operations, creating up to 20 new skilled roles as the site ramps up to full production capability of 4,000 tonnes of cottage cheese per year.
Demand for high protein, natural dairy products such as cottage cheese has accelerated in the UK, driven by changing consumer diets and interest in versatile, quality and higher protein ingredients.
Market data by Worldpanel by Numerator1 (52 weeks ending 28 December 2025) shows that in the UK, cottage cheese has experienced strong volume and value growth, with total market spend rising 41.9% to £102.2m and purchase volumes increasing 28.1% to 25.6 million kilograms, according to reporting based on Worldpanel consumer purchasing data.
NIQ Homescan POD (Panel on Demand) data2 shows monthly UK cottage cheese sales volumes increasing by approximately 88% between the start of 2023 and December 2025, with producers expanding manufacturing capacity to meet demand and maintain availability on supermarket shelves.
Once operational, the site will be one of only a small number of dedicated cottage cheese manufacturing facilities in the UK, underlining Rodda’s important role in national dairy production and food security. Through its new manufacturing line, Rodda’s will make cottage cheese at scale for leading UK retailers and build on its reputation for high-quality Cornish dairy products.
Each year, the business handles around 61 million litres of milk; historically, only a small proportion of this volume (7%) has been used for its flagship clotted cream, with skimmed milk largely sold back into the commodity market. By manufacturing cottage cheese on site, Rodda’s will be able to use a greater share of surplus skimmed milk in new high quality product SKUs.
Nicholas Rodda, Managing Director of Rodda’s, said: “As a fifth generation Cornish dairy business, we’re proud to be investing in a new manufacturing capability in Scorrier and in skilled jobs for local people. It’s a business led investment that also supports our long term ambition to run a more efficient manufacturing business here in Cornwall, with our journey increasingly guided by circular economy principles.
Cottage cheese is one of the fastest growing dairy categories in the UK, and this facility allows us to respond to that demand while getting more value from every litre of milk we buy from our farming families.
This more efficient use of our milk intake will not only support farmgate returns, but also provide more predictable demand for farming families in the Rodda’s supply chain, and strengthen domestic food production resilience.”
The project will introduce new processes and automation technology to the Scorrier site, building on recent investments in advanced production machinery across the business to improve efficiency, consistency and technical capability. Rodda’s will also upskill existing colleagues and recruit new team members to operate the factory, creating a pipeline of technical dairy roles in Cornwall.
The investment is part funded with £500,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, allocated by Cornwall Council via the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.
The production of cottage cheese at the new Rodda’s facility is due to begin this summer. Operations at Rodda’s Creamery in Scorrier will continue as normal, producing market-leading clotted cream, butter and speciality milk.
Find out more about Rodda’s through their website and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
