Dairy Farmers of Britain (DFoB) was a UK co-operative milk processor that bought milk directly from farmers and had several factories producing milk and cheese products for sale in various regions throughout the UK. The company was formed as a raw milk trading business (milk broker) in 2002 with the merger of The Milk Group and Zenith Milk.
Dairy Farmers of Britain was the UK's leading dairy farmers' co-operative, marketing almost 1.4 billion litres of milk per year from more than 2,000 member farms.
In 2004, DFoB became the third largest milk processor in the UK, processing over 1.35 billion litres of milk each year into 600 different dairy products, by purchasing Tyneside-based Associated Co-operative Creameries for £75 million from The Co-operative Group. Key products included a branded range of fresh milk, award winning cheeses in the Cadog range, and many other products such as butter, cream and milk powder.
In April 2007, it announced the intention to cease production at its creamery in Whitby, North Yorkshire. The following year it was also announced that production was going to end at two more of its creamery sites, Fole, near Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, and Portsmouth, putting over 600 people out of work.
Dairy Farmers of Britain went into receivership on June 3rd 2009. Its farmer members lost significant sums of money, but a number have at least managed to find alternative customers for their milk.
Famous quotes containing the words farmers and/or britain:
“Why should all virtue work in one and the same way? Why should all give dollars? It is very inconvenient to us country folk, and we do not think any good will come of it. We have not dollars; merchants have; let them give them. Farmers will give corn; poets will sing; women will sew; laborers will lend a hand; the children will bring flowers.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)
“Ill stay until Im tired of it. So long as Britain needs me, I shall never be tired of it.”
—Margaret Thatcher (b. 1925)