New milk processing plant to be built in west Wales

A deal to secure 4.1ha of land for a new creamery in Pembrokeshire has been completed, potentially adding 70m litres to the UK’s milk processing capacity.

Pembrokeshire Creamery acquired the development plot at Pembrokeshire Food Park, Haverfordwest, in a deal facilitated by the Welsh government and Pembrokeshire County Council.

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The company says £17m will be invested in the site and it will create 80 new jobs over the next three years and source its milk from local dairy farms.

The plant has received financial support from the EU through the Rural Development Fund.

Wales’ economy minister, Vaughan Gethin, said agriculture, food and drink made a significant contribution to Pembrokeshire’s local economy, so the government was determined to help new and existing businesses.

The new creamery will be the only British Retail Consortium-certified facility to offer Welsh milk that is also bottled in Wales.

As such, it will shorten the supply chain in Wales, said Pembrokeshire Creamery managing director Mark McQuade.

“Pembrokeshire is a fantastic milk field in which to build an authentically Welsh milk supply for Welsh supermarkets,” he said.