Dairy Crest
Dairy Crest was established in 1981 as the processing arm of the Milk Marketing Board.
In 1983 the Company launched Clover, its dairy spead.
2002 November. Acquired St. Ivel
2004 September. Acquired the Country Life butter brand from the English Butter Marketing Co
2006 July. Acquired Express Dairies from Arla Foods for £33m
2006 October. Sold the majority of its own label cheese business to First Milk, its Scottish equivalent, along with the creameries and factory that produce most of the products concerned
2007 January Acquired St Hubert for £248 million securing the Cholegram, Le Fleurier and Omega 3 brands, which are among the top selling spreads in France, and the Vallé brand which is the market leader in Italy.
2013 July. Sold its doorstep delivery operations in the Northwest of England to Creamline Dairies who will operate the milk rounds from the Warrington, Flixton, Stockport and Macclesfield depots and whose subsidiary Mortons will operate all those in the Wirral, Chester and Liverpool
Products
The company supplies milk, cheese, spreads and drinks. It also has an on-line ordering service for its doorstep customers known as milk&more.
Cheese brands include Cathedral City, Davidstow Cheddar and Wexford.
Spread brands include Clover, Country Life, St. Hubert, Utterly Butterly, Vitalite and Willow.
Drink brands include Country Life Milk and Frijj.
Milk production sites include Chadwell Heath and Stonehouse and spread production sites included Crudgington and Kirkby. Crudgington Creamery was closed in 2014 when production of spreads was concentrated at Kirkby, while its research and development facility was transferred to an innovation centre built by the company at Harper Adams University