Production of one of the UK’s best-known cheeses has been boosted by a £3.2million investment from the Government’s “shovel ready” fund.
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has used a grant from the Getting Building Fund to support the multi-million pound expansion of the world-class Saputo Dairy UK creamery in Davidstow, Cornwall, to increase production of cheddar and ingredients for infant formula.
The plant employs more than 200 people and is home to the famous Cathedral City cheddar brand which has annual sales of more than £300million and is found in more than half of all UK household fridges. The cheese is made from 100% West Country milk, directly supporting about 330 dairy farmers across Cornwall and the South West.
In 2020 the business starting selling Cathedral City to the Canadian and US markets for the first time, helped by a major media campaign which included an 8,500sq ft digital billboard standing 18 stories tall in Times Square, New York.
The LEP’s investment in plant and machinery at the Davidstow creamery will help increase capacity for cheese production and by-products such as demineralised whey, and reduce the environmental footprint of the creamery, including significant CO2 reductions.
Tom Atherton, president and chief operating officer of Saputo Diary UK, said: “The awarding of this grant is welcome news for Saputo Dairy UK, our 200-plus employees in Cornwall, our 330 supplying farmers and all those who support our business in the South West.
“It enables us to strengthen the infrastructure at our Davidstow creamery to support the continued growth of our award-winning cheddar brands, both in the UK and abroad. The launch of Cathedral City in North America is just the first step in our ambitious international expansion programme.”
The Government’s Getting Building Fund is aimed at pumping money into “shovel ready” projects that can bring an instant economic benefit. In February 2021, a dozen South West projects went “live” under the scheme after receiving £21million between them.
The Cornwall LEP successfully bid for £14.3million of Getting Building Fund investment in summer 2020 following a Government call for projects that could create jobs and support post-Covid-19 economic recovery across the country. The LEP is backing six other Getting Building Fund projects in Cornwall with a total value of £58m, supporting about 1,100 jobs.
Clare Parnell, who chairs the LEP’s rural group and is a farmer in North Cornwall, said: “The Davidstow creamery is a major local employer whose supply chain extends across Cornwall and the wider region. The LEP’s investment, secured from the Getting Building Fund, is having an immediate impact by boosting capacity and improving the efficiency of the plant as the business looks to further growth.”
