New South Caernarfon Creameries £6million cheese production unit
Work has commenced on a new production unit at South Caernarfon Creameries. The new build, which is located at the Creameries’ site in Chwilog, near Pwllheli, will house a state-of-the-art and flexible cheese production facility. Total investment is estimated at £6 million.
The new facility is planned to be fully operational by October 2015 and over the next five years will enable the farmer co-operative to almost double production capability, increasing cheese production from the current level of 9,000 tonnes per annum to 17,000 tonnes.
The new production unit will be best in its class, efficient and flexible and will support South Caernarfon Creameries’ growth strategy with both existing and new customers as well as exports. Current cheese production will not be affected by the new-build as the existing production unit will continue to be used until the new facility is fully operational. Local businesses will benefit from the expansion, for example, the building contract has been awarded to local company Derwen Llyn of Pwllheli.
Alan Wyn Jones, Managing Director at South Caernarfon Creameries said “Although it’s currently a very challenging period for milk producers and processors, this is a very exciting period for our business. Our investment will result in the first new cheese factory build in the UK since the 1970’s and will provide us with best in class production facilities that will further support our growth and added value strategy.”
South Caernarfon Creameries is owned by its 120 farmer member suppliers. John Gwynant Hughes, of Ynysgain Fawr, Criccieth, one of its farmer members commented “We are proud supplying members and owners of SCC and are pleased that the business is forward-thinking and investing in our future which gives us as dairy farmers’ confidence in what is a very challenging period for our industry”.
