Arla Foods has announced that it will be undertaking an operational review of its specialty cheese site, Arla Melton Mowbray Creamery UK, to search for a buyer.
The creamery, also known locally as Tuxford & Tebbutt, currently employs around 60 people and will remain operational during the review.
Arla Foods said that, during the review process, it will be “exploring the market” for any buyers of the creamery.
Vice-president of production at Arla Foods, Fran Ball, said: “At Arla we are committed to supporting all colleagues through periods of change and we understand that today’s announcement will bring a sense of uncertainty for those who work at Melton Mowbray and those who work directly with the site team.
“Over the last few years, the speciality cheese market in the UK, which includes Stilton, has continued to decline, and as a farmer owned cooperative, we are therefore looking at what this means for our business so we can continue to return a fair price back to our 2,000 UK farmer owners.
“Here at Arla Foods, we are proud of the heritage that we have from our creameries across the UK. We are privileged to employ some of the finest cheese makers in the country, which includes those at our Arla Melton Mowbray Creamery UK.”
Ball said Arla Foods would like to reassure shoppers that there will be no impact to the supply of its products during the course of the review period.
The dairy cooperative said it expects to be providing an update on the review by April 2024.
