Cheeses from the Taw Valley, Llandyrnog and Lockerbie brands will now be stored and matured in the purpose-built facility in Shropshire – and, once matured, will be moved to Arla’s nearby cutting and packing site before being dispatched to retailers.
Previously the cheeses were stored and matured at a number of locations, but now the process will be managed by a sole supplier.
At the start of 2016, Arla signed a long-term contract with Shropshire-based storage and distribution company Grocontinental to build and manage the facilities following the dairy company’s extensive review of its current suppliers.
The new 32,000 pallet chilled store was officially opened by Michiel de Jonge, senior vice president of Arla Global Logistics, and executives from Grocontinental.
The facility will feature high density racking together with dedicated cheese grading facilities.
Arla Foods UK Logistics vice-president Ian Brown said: “Arla has committed to grow its UK business by nearly a third by 2020, as part of the company’s global strategy for growth and to position Arla as the champion of British dairy.
“The decision to consolidate the maturation facilities from three of our creameries into one fantastic facility reflects how we are investing for the future to ensure quality, competitiveness and economies of scale.”
Source: FoodBev
Link: http://www.foodbev.com/news/new-arla-facility-centralises-cheese-storage-and-maturation-processes/