Arla Foods has pledged it will invest £300m across five UK dairy production sites in a move set to boost the UK’s dairy industry.

Announced today at the UK’s annual Farm to Fork Summit hosted in Downing Street, the dairy giant revealed that it planned to expand its network with the addition of four new sites.

The dairy production company said it planned to update and expand its dairies and creameries at Lockerbie, Stourton, Aylesbury and Westbury as it looks to create more opportunities for British milk and cheese production.

Arla’s Lockierbie has received a £34m upgrade project to implement new technology, while Stourton is due to undergo a £65m investment to increase capacity on ESL milk and add functionality for producing milk in cartons.

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Aylesbury is also due to receive £8m to add a new box packer, as Westbury gets a £15m investment to upgrade to its effluent treatment plant and powder dryer.

The new facilities, alongside the previously announced £179m plans for its Taw Valley site, means Arla Foods will increase its total UK investment commitments in 2024 to five sites worth over £300m.

Arla Foods managing director Bas Padberg said: “What this means is that our farmer owners are investing in UK food security – as they are not only producing our milk, but they are backing this investment in our production sites.

“Dairy plays a significant role in the UK economy, with sales of dairy products exceeding £8bn. On the day of the Farm to Fork Summit, we are delighted to set out plans for continued vital investment in our business worth tens of millions of pounds, ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of food production and keeping the nation’s favourite dairy products on our supermarket shelves.”