First Milk has officially opened its £20 million investment into its Aspatria creamery.
The farmer-owned co-operative said the investment had seen capacity at the Lake District Creamery increase by 40 per cent over the last four years.
It was officially opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Cumbria Claire Hensman.
Shelagh Hancock, chief executive of First Milk, said: “Cumbria is a county with a strong dairy heritage, and we are proud to have so many co-operative members in this area. That’s why our investment at Lake District Creamery is so important – it sits in the heart of our Cumbrian milk field.
“This £20m investment saw us install five new high-capacity cheese blockformers, capable of packing cheese at a rate of seven tonnes per hour.
“In addition, we’ve upgraded milk intake and milk storage, installed two new milk pasteurisers and two new whey pasteurisers and an end of line robotised stacking and palletisation system, alongside a 120-tonne automated cooling store.
“Altogether, this transforms the site, allowing us to process a million litres of milk a day and ensuring that we can continue to play our part in meeting the growing global demand for dairy, securing the future for our members.”
