A major º£½ÇÊÓƵ cheddar cheese supplier is considering axing some 60 roles at its dairy factory in Cornwall.
Saputo Dairy º£½ÇÊÓƵ, which manufactures brands such as Cathedral City and Wensleydale, is looking to reduce its workforce by 80, with the majority of jobs being cut at Davidstow Creamery, near Camelford.
The company told Business Live it was proposing to stop making a number of ingredients for the baby formula market and instead return to producing sweet whey powder. The proposed job cuts will have no impact on the supplying farms or cheese production, it added.
"We will consequently be entering into a period of consultation with a group of employees regarding these proposed changes," a spokesperson said.
"Market conditions are such that we are having to take difficult, but decisive, actions to simplify the business and introduce meaningful efficiencies to ensure we are best placed for the future.
"We will ensure that all employees who may be impacted by this proposal are well supported."
Saputo Dairy º£½ÇÊÓƵ has manufactured ingredients for the infant formula market since 2013, but said on Thursday (April 3) that demographic shifts and changes in demand for different whey formats mean it was no longer in the company's "best economic interests" to continue servicing that market.
The changes are expected to be completed by the end of September 2025.
Dairy Crest was acquired by Saputo, one of the top dairy processors in the world, in 2019 and rebranded as Saputo Dairy º£½ÇÊÓƵ. In 2021, Saputo snapped up Wensleydale Creamery, which manufactures, blends, markets and distributes a variety of specialty and regional cheeses, including Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese.
In 2022, the company launched Cathedral City Plant Based - a dairy-free alternative to cheese.
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