South Caernarfon Creameries completes £25m expansion

Welsh dairy co-operative South Caernarfon Creameries has completed a £25m development at its processing site at Rhydygwystl, North Wales.

The co-op has increased its annual cheese production capacity from 15,000t to 23,000t, by installing state-of-the-art whey, milk and cream processing equipment.

South Caernarfon Creameries, which is supplied by 160 dairy farmers, received a £5m grant from the Welsh Government’s Food Business Investment Scheme to support the project.

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James Knowlson, operations director at the co-op, said: “Utilising state-of-the art cutting and packing equipment, our new portioning line will revolutionise production, improving yield by over 5% and increasing efficiency by around 30%, when compared to the previous line.”

The co-operative worked alongside equipment manufacturer Gemak on the project, following an extensive tendering process.

Alan Wyn-Jones, managing director of South Caernarfon Creameries, said: “Completing this project has been both a challenging and rewarding experience.

“Gemak’s team demonstrated dedication and expertise, making the collaboration productive. Their hard work played a key role in achieving our goals. I appreciate their commitment and look forward to future collaborations.”

The project aimed to achieve net-zero water consumption on-site, which it has surpassed, and it is now able to produce more than 100,000 litres of clean water each day.

Kursat Uysal, director at Gemak said: “We are delighted to have completed this monumental project despite the challenges along the way.

“Establishing one of the UK’s most advanced whey processing facilities, capable of producing whey concentrate with 30% total solid, is a milestone for the UK dairy industry and a source of immense pride for us.”