More Cornish milk to be made into Cornish cheese as Milk Link announces new creamery build

Milk Link has announced that work has begun on the first phase of a new production facility at its Cornish Country Larder Trevarrian Creamery in North Cornwall. The major 4 million investment will substantially increase production of the Trevarrian Creamerys award winning soft cheeses to meet a growing demand from major retailers and foodservice providers nationwide.

Cornish Country Larder, a leading producer of British speciality soft cheeses was acquired by the UKs largest dairy co-operative Milk Link in January this year, as part of a deal to strengthen its position as the foremost producer of British cheeses.

The new development at Trevarrian will result in increased production and maturation capacity for the Creamerys comprehensive range of soft cheeses including Cornish Brie, Camembert and brands such as Gevrik soft goats cheese and St Endellion (a delicious luxury Cornish Brie, made using Cornish double cream). It will feature best in class processing technology to improve product quality and consistency whilst retaining all the authentic quality and taste of the cheeses for which Cornish Country Larder is famous.

The first phase of the Trevarrian development will be completed by the Autumn of 2011.

Milk Links Chief Executive, Neil Kennedy said, Our new investment at Trevarrian is an important step forward in the growth and development of Cornish Country Larder.  It reflects the positive reaction received from customers and consumers alike to the great tasting cheeses produced at the creamery and is an integral part of Milk Links ambitious expansion plans for the business.

MILK LINK

Formed in the year 2000, Milk Link is Britains most progressive integrated dairy business. We are entirely owned by 1,500 British dairy farmers whose farm assured milk we process into a comprehensive range of superb tasting, high quality and innovative dairy products.

Milk link handles over 1.4 billion litres of milk pa sourced from a growing national milk field.  This equates to over 12% of the total GB milk production.

We are the largest producer of British cheese, supplying all major food retailers, food processors and food service organisations. We also manufacture a wide range of dairy products including long life milk and creams, extended shelf life products, flavoured milks and milk powders.  We currently employ around 1,200 people at eight processing facilities located in England, Scotland & Wales.

As a farmer owned co-operative the profits generated by the business are returned to our farmer Members to help provide a sustainable future for their dairy enterprises.  In doing so, at a wider level, we also support the economic, social and environmental well-being of many hundreds of rural communities across Britain.

Milk Links Speciality Cheese Business

In addition to producing a range of award winning Cheddars, Milk Link is proud to produce a wide selection of regional English cheeses, from Cornish Brie to Blue Stilton. We have three Creameries which specialise in speciality cheese. Our Tuxford & Tebbutt Creamery is one of only six in the world licensed to produce Blue Stilton, a quintessentially English cheese which is gaining popularity as a year-round cheese both here and in the USA.

Our Reeces Creamery at Malpas in Cheshire produces crumbly territorial speciality cheeses such as Caerphilly, Cheshire, Lancashire and Wensleydale.  It is also home to our new, 1.4m purpose-built speciality cheese packing facility. Here, we cut and pack cheeses in a wide variety of sizes and formats, many of them produced on small farms. We also cut and pack a comprehensive range of Waitroses speciality and farmhouse cheeses at this facility.

Finally, with our acquisition of Cornish Country Larder, we can now produce superb tasting soft cheeses at the award winning Trevarrian Creamery near Newquay.  These include soft cows milk cheeses such as Brie and Camembert and soft goats milk cheese. At the British Cheese Awards 2010 the Creamery won the Trophy for Best Soft White Cheese for its Trevarrian Brie and eight other awards.