A FAMILY owned Cornish dairy company is in the hands of new owners after being acquired by a German dairy giant.

The business and assets of Trewithen Dairy, based in the Glynn Valley at Greymare Farm, Lostwithiel, has been purchased by Ehrmann, one of Germany’s largest dairy companies.

Announcing the move, a spokesperson for Ehrmann said that their latest acquisition will see two family-owned businesses come together to ‘bring a new portfolio of tasty dairy products to UK consumers’.

The deal to acquire Trewithen comes with a promise of new business to the premises, with Ehrmann planning to expand the facilities at Glynn Valley with a £20-million investment in state-of-the-art UK production plant by 2026 to produce Ehrmann’s pudding products.

Francis Clarke, owner of Trewithen Dairy, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our roots in quality pastures and cows that produce some of the best milk in the world. Quality and sustainable growth are core values we share deeply with our new colleagues at Ehrmann. That’s why we decided to join forces to breathe fresh air into the Cornish dairy industry as we enter our next phase of expansion.”

A spokesperson for Ehrmann said: “The acquisition will secure the jobs of over 260 people currently working at Trewithen Dairy, and moving forward, will lead to the creation of many new high skilled roles for the local Cornish economy. In addition, the expansion of the production plant will give dairy farmers in the region a major, stable purchaser for Cornwall’s milk supply, paying a competitive milk price based upon a guaranteed premium.

“Since 2022 Ehrmann has been successfully selling a range of products in the UK through major supermarkets Aldi, Morrisons, Iceland and more recently, COOP. As Ehrmann’s UK-produced range expands, the dairy foods producer will increase the distribution of its products in the UK.”

Christian Ehrmann, chairman of Ehrmann SE, explained: “Ehrmann has enjoyed success in the UK over the last two years working with major supermarket chains to bring new dairy tastes to consumers. The acquisition is highly significant as it opens up local UK production; enabling us to reduce the carbon footprint and guarantee the freshness of our products. Choosing Trewithen’s impressively high-quality Cornish milk production, we’re delighted to bring German product innovation together with the very best of British milk.”

Paul Berne, CEO of Trewithen Dairy, added: “We’re delighted that we’re able to expand our offering, create more jobs in the local economy, and further bring the joy of quality Cornish produce to more tastebuds across the UK. The new products are already proven in other markets, so it’s great to be producing them with excellent British milk to be enjoyed by more British taste buds.”