Milk Marque buys Cheddar maker

By FW reporters

MILK MARQUE has increased its presence in the premium mature Cheddar market by acquiring Somerset cheese maker North Bradon Farm.

Milk Marque Developments paid an undisclosed sum to Murray Vernon Holdings for the business which is worth an estimated £12m/year

North Bradon produces about 4000t of traditionally made farmhouse Cheddar and territorial cheese. The cheese is sold under supermarket labels and the North Bradon brand..

The purchase, together with the recent doubling of capacity at the Aeron Valley plant in Wales, takes MMDs total cheese making capacity to 12,000 tonnes.

The move means MMD is well on the way to meeting its target to create demand for 1bn litres of Milk Marque milk, said charman Andrew Dare.

“North Bradon Farm offers us good quality facilities in this leading milk producing area, with potential for expansion,” he said.

Milk Marque hopes that its annual cheese output will require 200 million litres of milk by the year 2000.

The company plans further joint ventures or acquisitions and the expansion of its existing processing plants.

The new Milk Marque butter and milk powder plant in Devon announced recently will take a further 600-750m litres of milk annually – if planning authorities grant the go-ahead.