Northern Ireland dairy cooperative's £70million expansion to create 30 new jobs

Northern Ireland dairy cooperative Dale Farm is set to create 30 new jobs at its cheddar processing facility in Dunmanbridge following the announcement of a £70 million investment at the site.

The expansion follows successive years of growth for the cooperative and continued customer growth across the UK, Europe and beyond, with the site exporting cheddar to 40 countries worldwide.

At £70 million the investment marks one of the largest ever single investments by a Northern Ireland agri-food company. The project, on track to be completed by February 2025, includes upgrades and improvements to existing site-wide services and utilities, the installation of a high-speed automated cheese slicing line, a larger warehouse space, and investments in new patented products and processes.

Karen Gaw, Group HR director at Dale Farm, Jon Young, general manager, Dale Farm Dunmanbridge and Group HR manager Andrea Duncan, announce the creation of 30 new jobs at Dale Farm’s Dunmanbridge site following a significant investment

Situated outside Cookstown, the site currently directly supports over 1,100 local families, employing 345 people with 760 local farmers supplying milk. The team at the facility is set to grow as a result of the investment, with some 30 new operative, technical, and engineering roles created at the site.

Karen Gaw, Group HR director at Dale Farm said the investment builds on the cooperative’s expertise to position Dale Farm as a leading European cheddar manufacturer: “Thanks to our innovative and dedicated people at Dunmanbridge and across the business, Dale Farm is growing into a leading cheddar manufacturer across Europe. From this facility in Mid-Ulster, we are exporting quality cheddar worldwide, and we are really excited to expand our team further as a result of this latest investment.

“There has never been a better time to build a career in the food industry. We want to continue to lead the sector and cement Northern Ireland as a global leader in quality, sustainable food production. We have ambitious plans for the future and across multiple disciplines we have opportunities for talented people to be part of that journey.

Jon Young, general manager at Dale Farm Dunmanbridge, added: “Dale Farm is setting new standards for the industry in Northern Ireland and across Europe, integrating state of the art technology at the site to increase our capacity while also addressing our carbon footprint.

“This major investment will future proof our operation locally for decades to come. We’re proud to have such a world class team at Dunmanbridge, and of our role as a strong employer in the area, supporting the local families and farm businesses that are at the heart of our rural economy.”

Dale Farm is now recruiting for these roles, to find out more visit here.