IN Brief:
- Rodda’s is investing £6m in a cottage cheese facility at Scorrier, Cornwall.
- The site is expected to produce up to 4,000 tonnes a year at full capacity.
- The project will use surplus skimmed milk from the company’s existing dairy operation.
Rodda’s is investing £6m in a new cottage cheese facility at its Scorrier site in Cornwall, adding specialist dairy processing equipment and automation as demand for high-protein chilled foods continues to grow.
The facility is entering its final commissioning stage and is expected to make Rodda’s one of a small number of dedicated cottage cheese manufacturers in the UK. Once fully operational, the site is planned to produce up to 4,000 tonnes of cottage cheese a year and create up to 20 skilled roles.
Each year, the business handles around 61 million litres of milk, with only a small proportion used in its flagship clotted cream products. Surplus skimmed milk has traditionally been sold back into the commodity market, but the new facility will allow more of that stream to be converted into higher-value dairy products on site.
That gives the project a clear operational purpose. By moving surplus skimmed milk into cottage cheese production, Rodda’s can improve utilisation of its incoming milk, reduce exposure to commodity outlets, and create a more predictable demand pattern for farms in its supply chain.
The new line will introduce additional process capability and automation technology at Scorrier, building on previous investment in advanced production machinery. Rodda’s says the project is designed to improve efficiency, consistency, and technical capability while expanding its product range for UK retailers.
Cottage cheese has regained momentum as consumers seek higher-protein, minimally processed chilled foods. UK category growth has moved the product beyond its long-established diet and seasonal associations, with recipe use and protein-led eating patterns helping to lift demand.
Domestic manufacturing capacity in the category remains relatively limited, particularly at dedicated site level. For a regional dairy processor, adding cottage cheese creates a way to diversify output while retaining more value from the milk already moving through the business.
Nicholas Rodda, managing director of Rodda’s, said: “As a fifth-generation Cornish dairy business, we’re proud to be investing in a new manufacturing capability in Scorrier and in skilled jobs for local people. It’s a business-led investment that also supports our long-term ambition to run a more efficient manufacturing business here in Cornwall, with our journey increasingly guided by circular-economy principles.”
He added: “Cottage cheese is one of the fastest-growing dairy categories in the UK, and this facility allows us to respond to that demand while getting more value from every litre of milk we buy from our farming families.”
Production at the new facility is due to begin this summer, while operations at Rodda’s Creamery in Scorrier will continue across clotted cream, butter, and speciality milk.
