Saputo Dairy UK
Saputo's United Kingdom dairy business, formerly known as Dairy Crest, producing and marketing cheese, spreads, butter and related dairy products.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Saputo Dairy UK is the United Kingdom dairy business of Canadian food company Saputo Inc. The operation was formerly known as Dairy Crest Limited and traces its origins to 1981, when it was established as the milk-processing arm of the former Milk Marketing Board. Dairy Crest was later privatised and became a company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Over time, it moved from a broad milk-processing and doorstep-delivery business toward a more focused branded dairy foods portfolio. The company’s best-known brands include Cathedral City and Davidstow Cheddar, Country Life butter, and spreads sold under names such as Clover, Utterly Butterly, Vitalite and Willow. It also has an association with Wensleydale and Wexford cheese products. Its manufacturing and processing network has included sites such as the Davidstow creamery in Cornwall and the Kirkby facility in Merseyside. The business supplies retail, food-service and other commercial customers in the UK, with products spanning cheese, butter, dairy spreads, plant-based spreads and cooking products. Dairy Crest expanded through acquisitions and brand purchases during the 1990s and 2000s. Among the most significant were the acquisition of the Cathedral City brand in 1995, the purchase of Unigate’s London dairy and cheese activities in 2000, the St Ivel spreads business in 2002, Country Life in 2004 and Express Dairies in 2006. The company also acquired St Hubert in 2007, although that business and its associated brands were later sold. A strategic reshaping followed. Dairy Crest sold most of its own-label cheese activities to First Milk in 2006, closed the Crudgington Creamery in 2014 and transferred its research and development work to an innovation centre at Harper Adams University. In 2015, it agreed to sell its legacy milk-processing and distribution business, together with the Frijj milkshake brand, to Müller for £80 million. The transaction was cleared by the Competition and Markets Authority and completed later that year, leaving Dairy Crest more concentrated on branded cheese, spreads and related products. Saputo agreed to acquire Dairy Crest in 2019 in a transaction valuing the company at approximately £975 million. Completion took place on 15 April 2019, and the business was renamed Saputo Dairy UK in July of that year, although Dairy Crest Limited continued as the principal legal entity. The acquisition gave Saputo a substantial branded dairy platform in the British market. In 2021, Saputo also acquired Bute Island Foods, the producer of Sheese vegan cheese, strengthening its presence in plant-based alternatives. The company has faced environmental scrutiny. Dairy Crest admitted charges concerning pollution incidents at the Davidstow creamery, including discharges of biological sludge and suspended solids into the River Inny between 2015 and 2021. In 2022, the company received fines and was ordered to pay prosecution costs. Further pollution incidents associated with a faulty drainage system were reported at the Wensleydale Creamery site in 2023 and 2025. Saputo Dairy UK has also been involved in discussions with the Environment Agency concerning environmental performance and a proposed new permit for the Davidstow site. In 2025, the company said it planned to move away from production of demineralised whey and galacto-oligosaccharides and return to sweet whey powder production. Its current identity is therefore that of a UK-focused branded dairy manufacturer operating within Saputo’s international dairy group.
History
Saputo Dairy UK originated as Dairy Crest, which was formed in 1981 as the milk-processing arm of the Milk Marketing Board. The business entered branded dairy foods early in its development, launching the Clover spread in 1983. It also established a UK distribution joint venture with Yoplait in 1981, known as Yoplait Dairy Crest, with ownership divided between the two companies. The company expanded its branded cheese and spread portfolio during the 1990s and 2000s. It acquired the Cathedral City cheese brand from Mendip Foods in 1995, was privatised in 1996 and subsequently listed on the London Stock Exchange. In 2000 it purchased Unigate’s London dairy and cheese activities, followed by the St Ivel spreads business in 2002. Country Life butter was acquired in 2004, and Express Dairies was bought from Arla Foods in 2006 for £33 million. Dairy Crest also pursued international and adjacent dairy acquisitions. In 2007 it bought St Hubert for £248 million, acquiring brands including Cholegram, Le Fleurier, Omega 3 and Vallé. Those brands were later sold to Montagu Private Equity in 2012 for €430 million. The company also rationalised its manufacturing footprint. In 2006 it sold most of its own-label cheese business to First Milk, including related creameries and a factory. It announced the closure of the Crudgington Creamery in 2012; the site closed in May 2014, with spread production concentrated at Kirkby and research and development transferred to a new innovation centre at Harper Adams University. The business subsequently withdrew from much of its legacy milk operation. Doorstep delivery operations in north-west England were sold in 2013 to regional operators. In 2014, Dairy Crest reported a sharp fall in interim profit. It then agreed to sell its legacy milk-processing and distribution business, together with the Frijj milkshake brand, to Germany’s Müller for £80 million. The Competition and Markets Authority approved the transaction in October 2015, and completion followed in December. This sale transformed Dairy Crest into a more focused branded cheese and spreads company. Saputo announced its acquisition of Dairy Crest in 2019. The transaction valued the target at about £975 million and completed on 15 April 2019. Saputo renamed the business Saputo Dairy UK in July 2019, although the Dairy Crest legal entity remained in place. The UK operation became part of Saputo’s wider international dairy group and continued to operate major British brands such as Cathedral City, Country Life, Clover, Utterly Butterly, Vitalite, Davidstow and Wensleydale. In 2021, Saputo acquired Bute Island Foods, the manufacturer of Sheese vegan cheese. The deal broadened Saputo Dairy UK’s exposure to plant-based products alongside its traditional dairy portfolio. The company continues to manufacture and market cheese, spreads, butter and related products in the UK, with production associated with facilities including Davidstow in Cornwall and Kirkby in Merseyside. Environmental compliance has been a significant later issue. Dairy Crest admitted pollution offences concerning incidents at Davidstow between December 2015 and January 2021, including discharges of biological sludge and suspended solids into the River Inny. In June 2022, the company received a £1.52 million fine and was ordered to pay £272,747 in costs. The incidents also prompted concern about the possible consequences for the company’s royal warrant. Further pollution affecting a tributary of the River Ure was attributed to a faulty drainage system at Wensleydale Creamery in 2023 and again in 2025. The Environment Agency identified Davidstow as a persistently poorly performing site in its 2024–25 Chief Regulator’s report. In 2026, the agency began consulting on a revised permit intended to deliver environmental improvements while allowing increased cheese production. In 2025, the company also announced a change in whey-ingredient production, moving away from demineralised whey and galacto-oligosaccharides toward sweet whey powder.
- 2022
Davidstow pollution penalty
[1]The company was fined and ordered to pay costs following prosecution for pollution incidents at Davidstow.
- 2021
Bute Island Foods acquired
[1]Saputo acquired the producer of Sheese vegan cheese.
- 2019
Acquisition by Saputo
[1]Saputo completed its acquisition of Dairy Crest and later rebranded the business as Saputo Dairy UK.
- 2015
Legacy milk business sold to Müller
[1]Dairy Crest sold its legacy milk operation and Frijj to Müller, completing the transaction later in the year.
- 2004
Country Life acquired
[1]The company acquired the Country Life butter brand from the English Butter Marketing Company.
- 1996
Privatisation and stock-market listing
[1]Dairy Crest was privatised and listed on the London Stock Exchange.
- 1995
Cathedral City acquired
[1]Dairy Crest bought the Cathedral City cheese brand from Mendip Foods.
- 1983
Clover launched
[1]Dairy Crest introduced Clover, a dairy spread that became one of its established consumer brands.
- 1981
Dairy Crest established
[1]Dairy Crest was created as the milk-processing arm of the Milk Marketing Board.
Products and positioning
A UK branded dairy manufacturer centred on household cheese, butter and spread brands, with additional activity in dairy ingredients and plant-based alternatives.
Cheese
Cathedral City
A major British cheese brand acquired by Dairy Crest in 1995. It is primarily associated with Cheddar and is one of Saputo Dairy UK’s principal branded cheese businesses.
Cheese
Davidstow
A premium Cheddar brand associated with the Davidstow creamery in Cornwall. The range forms part of the company’s branded natural-cheese portfolio.
Butter
Country Life
A butter brand acquired by Dairy Crest in 2004. It is marketed as a mainstream household butter offering in the UK.
Dairy spread · 1983
Clover
A spread brand introduced by Dairy Crest in 1983. It became one of the company’s long-standing products in the spreads category.
Spread
Utterly Butterly
A consumer spread brand within Saputo Dairy UK’s portfolio, positioned alongside its other household butter and spread products.
Plant-based spread
Vitalite
A spread brand included in the company’s non-dairy and plant-based-oriented portfolio.
Cheese
Wensleydale
A cheese line associated with the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes, North Yorkshire, and marketed as part of the company’s British cheese offering.
Cheese
Wexford
A cheese brand included among Saputo Dairy UK’s branded cheese products.
Vegan cheese
Sheese
A vegan cheese brand produced by Bute Island Foods, which was acquired by Saputo in 2021 and broadened the group’s UK plant-based offering.
Controversies
2025
Further Wensleydale environmental incident
A further pollution incident connected with the Wensleydale site was reported in 2025. The company’s environmental performance also remained subject to regulatory scrutiny.
2023
Wensleydale drainage-related pollution
Pollution in a tributary of the River Ure was attributed to a faulty drainage system at the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes.
2022
Fine and costs following Davidstow prosecution
Following the prosecution, the company was fined £1.52 million and ordered to pay £272,747 in costs. The pollution case also raised questions about whether the company’s royal warrant could be affected.
2021
Davidstow creamery pollution offences
Dairy Crest admitted charges relating to multiple pollution incidents at the Davidstow creamery between December 2015 and January 2021. The case concerned unlawful discharges, including biological sludge and suspended solids, into the River Inny in Cornwall.
Brand decisions
2025
Return toward sweet whey powder productionStrategyBackground
The company had produced demineralised whey and galacto-oligosaccharides since 2013, but later reassessed its whey-ingredient activities.
Action taken
Saputo Dairy UK said it was switching away from demineralised whey and galacto-oligosaccharide production toward sweet whey powder.
Aftermath
The change represented a repositioning of the company’s dairy-ingredient output, although the available reference material does not provide production or financial results.
2021
Acquisition of Bute Island FoodsM&ABackground
Saputo aimed to expand its presence in plant-based food alongside its established dairy operations.
Action taken
Saputo acquired Bute Island Foods, the producer of Sheese vegan cheese.
Aftermath
The acquisition added a vegan cheese platform to Saputo’s UK portfolio.
2019
Saputo acquisition of Dairy CrestM&ABackground
Saputo sought to expand its international dairy platform through a sizeable branded dairy business in the United Kingdom.
Action taken
Saputo agreed to acquire Dairy Crest in a transaction valuing the company at approximately £975 million. Completion occurred on 15 April 2019, followed by the Saputo Dairy UK rebrand in July.
Aftermath
The former public company became a Saputo subsidiary and continued operating its principal UK consumer brands under the new identity.
Enterprise or transaction valuation. Approximately £975 million (2019)
2015
Exit from legacy milk processing and distributionStrategyBackground
Dairy Crest was moving away from its historic milk-processing and doorstep-delivery activities to concentrate on branded cheese, spreads and related dairy products.
Action taken
The company agreed to sell its legacy milk business and the Frijj milkshake brand to Müller for £80 million. Regulatory approval was granted in October 2015 and completion followed in December.
Aftermath
The transaction left Dairy Crest with a more focused branded dairy portfolio and enabled the milk activities to be combined with Müller Wiseman Dairies.
Transaction value. £80 million (2015)
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Cathedral City enters the US market[2]
Reported:
Cathedral City, owned by Saputo Dairy UK, launched three cheddar variants onto the US market for the first time.
Sources2 sources
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