Pembrokeshire Creamery has launched Wales’ first milk processing facility, marking a milestone in the mission to bring ‘fully Welsh’ milk to consumers.
The dairy is the only BRCGS-accredited liquid milk facility in Wales, meaning it is the only facility able to supply major retailers with Welsh milk.
Previously, Welsh milk was bottled in factories in England before being transported back to Wales to be sold in stores.
By removing this, Pembrokeshire Creamery says it is reducing food miles, increasing supply chain efficiency and supporting farming communities.
The site, which has created around 80 new jobs, has the capacity to bottle more than a million litres of milk a week.
And the firm has recently announced major deals to supply own-branded milk to Asda and Lidl stores across Wales.
When the dairy reaches full capacity, it will be able to supply around 2 million litres of milk a week, according to the company.
The Welsh government has awarded support with £5m grant funding through the Food Business Investment Scheme and an additional £1.4m of grant funding from the Food Business Accelerator Scheme.
Funding support has also been provided by HSBC and to date, nearly £20m has been invested in the site.
The company recently announced plans to support the development of a second milk processing line and automated trolley fillers, meeting the growing demand for locally sourced milk.
Mark McQuade, managing director of the creamery said: “We’re creating new markets with major retailers for authentic Welsh milk which in turn is helping us complete our mission to deliver sustainably sourced Welsh milk.
“We are already committing to more investment and increasing our capacity - and we would like to thank all of the people locally, our staff and suppliers, who have supported us as we’ve built and opened our new state-of-the-art facility.”
