Family dairy set to become largest in Wales

A family-run dairy is set to become the largest liquid milk dairy in Wales when its new factory is commissioned next summer.

Tomlinson’s Dairies in Minera, Wrexham, is expanding its processing capacity fourfold, targeting annual throughput of 100m litres.

It processes about 25m litres each year but demand for its milk means it has outgrown its current unit and is building a new 70,000sq ft factory.

The business was established in 1983 by brothers Philip and John Tomlinson and processes milk from about 30 local farms.

Philip Tomlinson said processing capacity would initially double when the new factory was commissioned but there was potential to expand to 100m litres a year in the long term.

The new plant would allow the business to continue sourcing local milk and to process and pack it locally, he said.

He anticipated the investment would create 70-80 jobs.

Tomlinson’s Dairies started as a doorstep round in the Wrexham area using milk from the family dairy farm at Minera. It now supplies milk and cream to more than 300 outlets across Wales and the north-west of England.

NFU Dairy Board chairman Mansel Raymond said he welcomed any investment that made processing more efficient. “We hope that producers will see the rewards of that investment.

He said UK farmers had benefitted from significant investment in liquid milk processing in recent years and a focus was now needed on manufacturing capacity.