Dale Farm successes in International Cheese Festival
Food NI member Dale Farm gained a series of awards for its cheddar cheese products at the prestigious International Cheese Awards at Nantwich.
The company, Northern Ireland’s biggest dairy co-operative, won gold, silver and bronze medals for its range of cheddars. Dale Farm, which produces cheese at one of Europe’s leading processing plants, near Cookstown, county Tyrone, gained gold for its mature white cheddar in particular.
Dale Farm’s operation in Great Britain also won awards, including golds for its cottage cheeses and yoghurt. The company has processing operations in England, Scotland and Wales.
It exports milk powder and cheese to international markets including China, Russia and South America.
The awards, held as an integral part of the annual Nantwich Agricultural Show, is among the leading competitions in the international dairy industry. A panel of 250 expert judges sampled around 5,000 cheeses from almost 30 countries.
Dale Farm has many of Northern Ireland’s best known and most successful dairy brands and produces milk, cream, ice cream, cheese, butter, spreads, yogurt and desserts.
Successful brands include Dale Farm, Dromona, Spelga, Mullins, Fivemiletown, Rowan Glen, Loseley.
Dale Farm is Northern Ireland’s largest dairy company and is owned by over 1,300 dairy farmers who supply the milk.
The group’s activities span the food chain – from providing farm inputs and services, to collecting and marketing its members milk supplies, manufacturing an extensive range of dairy consumer and food ingredient products, distributing these to both domestic and over 40 export markets worldwide.
The cooperative was formed in 1995. Since then, the group has developed its business interests through organic growth and a series of acquisitions. The group now has 10 manufacturing sites throughout the UK.
An extensive capital investment programme has been completed aimed at reducing costs and increasing capacity. This has resulted in processing facilities that are best in class.
