Last year, Arla announced a significant investment in its UK facility, describing it as ‘one of its biggest ever’. This initiative aims to enable the dairy cooperative to produce Mozzarella in Devon, beginning in 2027.
The investment is set to create over 100 skilled jobs in the local community. Arla is actively seeking candidates for a range of positions, including apprenticeships.
Opportunity to Recruit
Fran Ball, Vice President of Production in the UK, commented on the job creation, stating: “We’re incredibly proud to see work has begun on our state-of-the-art mozzarella plant in the UK. As part of the launch of our mozzarella line, we are exploring how we can use this as an opportunity to recruit more people into the industry.”
“In particular, we are looking at trialling an apprenticeship scheme, which means we will be able to train apprentices over the next two years – with a view to offering them a full-time position at Taw Valley – for when our mozzarella production begins.”
Work has commenced at the Taw Valley site as Arla recently shared its 2024 annual results, which indicated revenues of €13.7 billion last year and earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization of €1.09 billion.
In 2022, Arla made investments exceeding €1 billion globally, including a proposal to invest £90 million into its Lockerbie facility.
Commitment to the UK
Bas Padberg, Managing Director of Arla Foods UK, spoke on the company’s commitment to British dairy: “The investment into our Taw Valley site showcases our commitment to driving change in the UK and supporting the future of British dairy.”
“We are already one of the leading players in the global mozzarella market providing quality cheese to customers worldwide, but this investment allows us to continue to support our farmer owners by returning the best price for their milk.”
Additionally, Arla Foods and DMK Group have announced plans to merge, establishing Europe’s strongest dairy cooperative with a combined revenue exceeding €19 billion (£16.2 billion).
This merger will unite more than 12,000 farmers and continue under the Arla name. Its headquarters will be located in Viby J, Denmark, with Jan Toft Nørgaard serving as chair of the merged entity.
