FDBusiness.com

Meadow Foods, the UK’s largest independent dairy and leading supplier of milk based dairy ingredients to the food industry, has reported a 13% increase in turnover to £340.9 million and a 4.97% rise in operating profit to £9.51million for the year ended 31 March 2012. The company, which is headquartered at its creamery in Chester, has also announced that it has eliminated net borrowings whilst committing £2.6 million to capital investment projects in the coming year. The investments are designed to further increase capacity and efficiencies at its manufacturing facilities.

Simon Chantler, executive chairman of Meadow Foods, comments: “Whilst the wider economic conditions remain challenging, Meadow Foods has continued to deliver a consistent performance, which in turn has allowed the business to eliminate debt and make further capital investments. These investments will bring further sustainable growth and stability to both our farmers and customers.”

Meadow Foods recently secured full planning consent for a major expansion of its milk processing and butter production facility at Chesterwhich will see an additional 5,300 sq m of processing and storage facilities developed and the generation of up to 100 new jobs in the region.

In addition to Chester, Meadow Foods operates from factories in Peterborough and Holme-on-Spalding Moor. The company’s products include cream, butter, sweetened condensed milk, anhydrous milk fat, chocolate crumb and cultured products. Founded in 1992, the company currently employs more than 250 people.

Meadow Foods is the only independent manufacturer of chocolate crumb and sweetened dairy products in the UK and its also the country’s largest producer of anhydrous milk fat (AMF) and one of the largest butter producers.