Medina Dairy announces £3.5m investment program

 The company says the investment will deliver greater operational flexibility and efficiencies and is in line with its strategic focus to enhance further its ability to service the fresh milk and cream requirements of the major multiple retailers.

It will mean that the milk of 96 local dairy farmers will now be processed at the dairy, securing the jobs of Watson’s existing 95 employees and resulting in the creation over the next six months of up to 25 additional new roles. 

Watson’s Dairy will benefit from the installation of a high speed, filling line, automatic trolley packing and additional milk and cream silos. 

The investment, which will be completed by late spring 2017, will expand Medina’s operational capability in the South East of England and will complement its recent winning of new fresh milk supply contracts with major retailers including Sainsbury’s and Iceland Foods. 

Investing in Watsons brand

At the same time, Medina will continue to invest in the development of its ‘Watsons’ branded milk with a growing customer base in the convenience retail and foodservice sectors of the market.

Medina supplies its Watsons and Cymru milk and cream brands as well as specific retailer own label milk direct to around 5,000 locations on a daily basis. 

In 2004 Medina acquired Watson’s Dairy, in Hampshire, and in 2007 the processing assets of Buckley’s Dairy in West Yorkshire.  

In May 2016, Medina Dairy was awarded a contract to supply fresh milk and cream to retailer Sainsbury’s. The contract, which starts in July 2017, will see Medina process fresh milk and cream at its Watson’s Dairy located in Hampshire for supply to a proportion of Sainsbury’s stores in the South of England. 

Medina is headquartered in Windsor, Berkshire.