Plans are announced for the development of Europe's most advanced independent industrial cheese and dairy ingredients manufacturing centre, located next to the M5 in Gloucestershire. Construction will begin imminently for full production beginning autumn 2008.

A new company, Dairy Partners Limited, has acquired the existing Offredi Cheese business and site. It marks the return of the Bennett / Peel family into the cheese industry, following their sale of Meadow Cheese to the Irish Dairy Board in March 2003.

Meadow Cheese was established by Clive Bennett and Robert Peel in 1993 and organically grew to a �30 million turnover over a ten year period. As a dedicated and focused independent operation, it gained a reputation for technical innovation and personal and flexible service.

William Bennett, left his sales position at Meadow following its sale and bought 50% of Offredi Cheese to co-own the site with Simon Offord, in 2005. Since then, they have quadrupled volume sales and are both on the Board of the new operation.

Robert explains their decision to launch Dairy Partners: "We see the future success of our industry in breaking the ties to dairies and regions and instead sourcing ingredients worldwide so the UK focus is on processing, preparation and R&D excellence.

"The fact is, milk production in the British Isles is falling and production costs increasing and this is a long term trend. We will have the independence to source the best products and at the best prices on the international markets and the very latest technology, plant and expertise to work with our customers to improve value, functionality and flavour."

'We will be partnering with the customer, not the cow' Clive adds: "Since the acquisition of Meadow, many old customers have told me they are missing the flexibility and focus of an independent industrial dairy ingredients supplier at what we all know is a critically challenging time. The consumer market place has never been changing so rapidly and increasing pressure on world dairy supplies forces a constant need for food manufacturers to improve efficiency and reduce costs, whether supplying pizzas or lasagne. We will be partnering with the customer not the cow, so to speak!"

Dairy Partners Limited will begin trading under its new brand on 3 September 2007.

-Ends-

Notes

Directors photograph*, Dairy Partners identity and artist's impression of new factory available to download at www.offredi.co.uk/media

* The Directors of Dairy Partners Limited (from left, William Bennett; Simon Offord; Clive Bennett; and Robert Peel)

Please contact the press office at The Marketing Farm Tel: 01242 2228728 Email greg@themarketingfarm.co.uk for further information.