Lidl has become the first UK retailer to sign a contract with Pembrokeshire Creamery to sell milk that has been produced and bottled in Wales.
From 1 June, the discounter’s customers in Wales can shop ‘fully’ Welsh own-label milk products, with cream to follow soon after.
Previously, the grocer’s Welsh milk has been bottled in factories in England, before being transported back to Wales to be sold in stores.
Through its long-term contract with Lidl, alongside an injection from the Welsh government, Pembrokeshire Creamery has invested £20m to build the country’s only bottling facility certified to supply supermarkets, in a move which will reduce food miles and create 80 jobs for the community.
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The products will join the grocer’s existing range of Welsh produce, including bread, butter, yoghurt, eggs, lamb and beef.
Lidl GB chief commercial officer Richard Bourns said: “Our partnership with Pembrokeshire Creamery is testament to our commitment to offer Welsh shoppers the very best in homegrown food and drink.
“At Lidl we take pride in championing local producers, and this contract marks a significant milestone for the Welsh dairy sector, whilst also supporting the local economy in Pembrokeshire.”
Pembrokeshire Creamery managing director Mark McQuade added: “The partnership will deliver products from farm to shelf in a more efficient way, removing the need for Welsh milk to be sent to England for bottling, before coming back to Wales.”
It comes as Lidl invests £500m to bolster the British pork industry and ensure the continued production of quality product at the “best possible prices” for customers.
The investment follows recent sector-wide challenges, including rising costs, a Chinese import ban on EU pork, and butcher shortages, which has led to a significant backlog of healthy pigs and financial worries for producers.
