First Milk invests £20m in its Cumbrian creamery at Aspatria

The farmer-owned co-op has been investing heavily in the Cumbrian factory with its processing capacity rising 40% over the last four years, as it focuses on increasing capacity, productivity and building operational resilience.

Speaking about the investment, Shelagh Hancock, FM's chief executive, 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.

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“This £20m investment saw us install five new high-capacity cheese block formers, 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.

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“Altogether, this transforms the site, allowing us to process 1m litres of milk per 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.”

Last year, First Milk confirmed that its member milk price would remain unchanged in January, 2023, at 49.69ppl on a manufacturing standard litre, including member premium and regenerative farming bonus.