Davidstow Creamery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Davidstow Creamery
Seen in March 2008
Former names	Dairy Crest Davidstow
General information
Type	Cheese factory
Architectural style	Factory
Address	Davidstow, Cornwall, PL32 9XW
Coordinates	50°39′00″N 4°37′59″W / 50.65°N 4.633°W / 50.65; -4.633
Elevation	300 m (984 ft)
Current tenants	200 staff
Construction started	1950
Completed	2005
Cost	£55M (2005)
Owner	Saputo Dairy UK

The Davidstow Creamery is a big factory in Cornwall, England. It's the largest cheese factory in the UK! It also makes the most mature cheddar cheese in the world. This factory is where the famous Cathedral City Cheddar cheese is made. About half of all the milk produced in Cornwall goes to this one factory.

History of Davidstow Creamery

The Davidstow Creamery is located on a windy hilltop. It first started making products in 1950. The company that began the factory was called Dried Milk Products Ltd. They were located in the Camelford Rural District.

Cheese production at the factory began in 1951. Other factories that were part of the same group included one in Newcastle Emlyn in Wales, which closed in 1983. There was also a factory in Lostwithiel in south Cornwall. This Lostwithiel site later started making clotted cream.

Joining Unigate

In 1959, a new company called Unigate was formed. This company owned several creameries, including Davidstow. Other Unigate creameries were in places like Dorrington, Shropshire, Great Torrington in Devon, and St Erth in west Cornwall.

The Davidstow Creamery was very good at making cheese. It even competed in big shows like the Royal Dairy Show in London. It also entered the International Cheese Awards in Acton, Cheshire. By the late 1950s, the factory was making different kinds of cheese. These included Cheddar, Cheshire, Double Gloucester, and Leicester cheese.

In 1972, the factory started collecting milk in large bulk containers. Other creameries soon followed this new method. By 1976, the factory was making about 72,000 pounds of cheese every day!

Becoming Dairy Crest

In 1979, the Davidstow factory was bought by the Milk Marketing Board. Then, in 1980, a new company was created called Dairy Crest. Davidstow Creamery became part of Dairy Crest.

Dairy Crest decided in 1993 to make Davidstow its main cheese-making factory. They invested a lot of money, about £6 million, to improve it. By 2002, the factory had 174 employees. In 2019, a Canadian company called Saputo Inc. bought Dairy Crest.

Caring for the Environment

In 2022, Dairy Crest faced issues related to the environment. They were fined for causing pollution over five years. This was the largest fine ever given for an environmental case in the South West of England.

The pollution affected the River Inny, Cornwall. For example, in 2016, a harmful chemical was released into the river. This caused many fish to die. In 2018, the river was covered in a dark, thick sludge for several kilometers. This happened because too many solid materials were released into the water.

Factory Upgrades and Visits

The Davidstow Creamery has been expanded and improved over the years. A new boiler house was added in 1968. The factory was also expanded in 1984 and again in 2001. A big redevelopment project costing £55 million was completed in 2005.

Important people have visited the factory. In 2011, Prince Charles visited the site. He was there to open a new plant that uses wood waste to create steam. This plant helps the factory produce energy more efficiently.

How the Factory Works

View in June 2006

The Davidstow Creamery is located in northern Cornwall. It's right where two main roads, the A39 and A395, meet.

Making Cheese

The factory makes a huge amount of cheese every year, about 45,000 tonnes!

After the cheese is made at Davidstow, it's sent to a special distribution center. This center is in Nuneaton in Warwickshire. The cheese is stored there for about 12 months to mature. This means it sits and ages to get its full flavor.

Around 400 farmers supply milk to the Davidstow factory. The factory makes popular cheeses like Cathedral City Cheddar and Davidstow Cheddar. It also makes special cheeses for M&S, such as Cornish Cruncher and Cornish Cove.

See also

• Arla Aylesbury
• Taw Valley Creamery of Milk Link