Dairygold Food Ingredients (UK) has bought Dan Dairies of Leeds for an undisclosed sum, largely as a production base for its new Ezycheese liquid cheese ingredient alternative to grated cheese, launched in May.
Dan Dairies' soft ingredient cheese is also a new market for Ireland-based Dairygold, said Chris Edge, a director in the UK.
Dairygold had decided initially to set up a joint venture with Dan Dairies, before deciding to buy the private firm. Edge said that it had been producing soft cheese at about 3,000t/year and liquid cheese at 1,000t/year, but that could be expanded to 5,000t/year and 3,000t/year respectively.