Dairy Crest Group plc was a United Kingdom–based dairy processor and consumer foods company known for an extensive portfolio of branded dairy products. Its core activities included the production, processing and marketing of cheese, spreads, butter and other dairy staples. The company’s flagship brands included Cathedral City cheddar, Clover margarine and Country Life butters, which together held leading market positions within the UK grocery sector.
Alongside its consumer-facing product lines, Dairy Crest operated a network of fluid milk depots supplying pasteurised milk and cream to retailers across England and Wales. The business was organised into two principal divisions: Consumer Products, focused on branded packaged foods; and Dairies, which managed bulk milk processing and distribution logistics through a fleet of delivery vehicles.
Founded in 1981 through the privatisation of the UK Milk Marketing Board’s processing arm, Dairy Crest expanded over subsequent decades via targeted acquisitions and brand development. In April 2019 the group was acquired by Saputo Inc., a major Canadian dairy company, and its operations were integrated into what is now Saputo Dairy UK.
Throughout its independent history, Dairy Crest was led by an executive team and board of directors based in the UK, overseeing product innovation, supply-chain optimisation and brand marketing. Its operations remained focused on meeting consumer demand for quality dairy foods and maintaining a comprehensive distribution infrastructure across the British market.
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