A Dorset manufacturer of specialist dairy products has begun contract packaging for the first time in its 59-year history after signing a new long-term contract to produce bottled kefir cultured milk drinks.
BV Dairy, which is based in Blackmore Vale, will produce four million bottled yoghurt drinks and kefir a year using its new Filmatic, state-of-the-art bottling line, which has the capacity to bottle 16.2 million drinks a year.
The expansion into cultured milk drink production will facilitate further growth for the business, which has recently built and equipped a new 13,860 sq ft chill store, complete with a new refrigeration system and 220 KW of solar PV panels as it continues to become more environmentally friendly.
Harry Cowan, Commercial Director at BV Dairy, said: “We have a long history of producing specialist dairy products for the manufacturing, food services and hospitality sectors, so it was a natural step for us to bring in a bottling line for cultured milk drinks. This new contract underpins BV Dairy’s expertise in this area and our intention is to use our skills, knowledge and experience in new product development – whilst maximising available production capacity – to work with a few select and like-minded companies to bring new, exciting and innovative products to market.
“Our move into contract packaging follows extensive market research which shows an increasing appetite for cultured drinking products that have associated health benefits.”
The new Filmatic machinery will increase the capacity of the factory to 1.35 million bottles per month, allowing the dairy to meet production targets and service other contract packaging agreements for cultured milk and yogurt drinks.
BV Dairy is currently run by the third generation of the Highnam family who have grown and developed the business and its range of speciality products to become one of the most respected and successful independent dairies in the South West of England today.