Arla Set to Close its North Cornwall Soft Cheese Factory

Arla has announced it has commenced consultation with 37 staff at its Trevarrian soft cheese factory, which is supplied with milk from eight local Arla Members. 
The creamery is on the North Cornish Coast between Padstow and Newquay and produces Cornish Brie’s and Camembert’s.

The Cornish County Larder based soft cheese business started life in 1996. 

In January 2011, under the direction of CEO Neil Kennedy, Milk Link purchased the creamery before a year later it was transferred to Arla as part of the “merger” in 2012. 

Production and sales volumes at the Creamery have declined for several years and the decision to close is purely down to unsustainable economics accelerated by the loss of several own label cheese contracts (mainly to the French!) and the continued COVID-19 induced volatility in UK Food service demand. 
The plan to close will be a blow to local farmers supplying the factory, however they will be unaffected as Arla members with their milk diverted to Arla’s Taw Valley and Westbury factories. Sadly, the same is not true for the 37 staff who will be hardest hit.