FDBusiness.com

Müller has reached an agreement to acquire Yew Tree Dairy. Yew Tree Dairy, which is based in in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, is a family-owned dairy company producing fresh milk and cream. Following significant investment in recent years, the business now also specialises in milk powder production.

With the acquisition, Müller will use Yew Tree Dairy’s production capabilities for milk powder to grow its export business, drive supply chain resilience and secure a positive future for the British dairy industry.

Completion of the deal is expected later this year subject to approval from the Competition and Markets Authority. Once the deal is completed, Müller plans to significantly invest in the capacity and capabilities of the Skelmersdale milk drying site. Tapping into internal expertise and experience from across the Müller group, the business will enhance its milk drying capability, enabling it to become a major producer and exporter of powdered milk products made in Britain, with milk from British dairy farms.

The acquisition will benefit customers, consumers, suppliers and employees of both businesses, while offering supplying farmers enhanced opportunities and long-term security.

Rob Hutchison, CEO at Müller Milk & Ingredients, said: “This significant investment in the British dairy industry underlines our ambition to grow Müller and build a better future for the sector.

“Yew Tree Dairy has excellent processing capabilities, a talented team with great expertise, and strong relationships with its customers and supplying farms. When combined with our well-invested and resilient network, I am very confident that these two family-owned businesses will complement each other really well.

“Britain is a great place for dairy farming and has an excellent reputation for quality, welfare standards and sustainability. This acquisition will enable us to tap into global dairy consumption growth, unlock additional export opportunities and continue to drive supply chain resilience.”

Carl Woodcock from Yew Tree Dairy said: “We as a family are very proud of the dairy business we have built and are looking forward to seeing the progression and development by Müller of the Skelmersdale operation. The family felt the time was right to explore new opportunities whilst retaining our farming roots.

“We would like to thank all who have been involved in the Yew Tree Dairy business over the years. Our success is in no small part due to our dedicated staff, farmers and customers that have been part of our journey.

“We have known Rob and the team from Müller for many years. After meeting with the Müller family, we feel confident that this is the right decision for the business to be part of a larger organisation for the next phase of growth that will benefit our staff, farmers, and customers in the longer term.

“The key for us was to find a buyer that not only shared our values but had an exciting vision for the future of the great British dairy industry. Following a competitive process, Müller was our clear preference, and we leave our business in really good hands.”

Müller UK & Ireland is wholly owned by Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller which employs over 32,000 people throughout Europe. In the UK, Müller develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of branded and private label dairy products made with milk from 1,300 farmers in Britain, alongside a designated plant-based range.

Müller UK & Ireland includes: Müller Milk & Ingredients, which produces branded and private label fresh milk, cream, butter, milk drinks and ingredients products and boasts a network of dairies and depots servicing customers throughout the country; and Müller Yogurt & Desserts, which is responsible for major brands like Müller Corner, Müllerlight, Müller Bliss, Müller Rice, Müller FRijj and Müller Plant Based.