Creating partnerships to maximise business opportunities and growthFirst Milk works hard to develop innovative partnerships with key players in the supply chain. It looks to create new opportunities in the market and develop joint initiatives which maximise value and lead to business growth. Creative partnerships are a key part of First Milk’s goal of developing a truly 21st-century farmer business which is integrated and actively involved in the marketing and processing of milk beyond the farm gate. First Milk works with many of the leading multiples developing joint initiatives particularly in the area of own brand cheese. First Milk has a unique position of being able to supply cheese from England, Scotland and Wales and is playing an active role in encouraging the purchasing of regionally created, British made cheese by these key retail players. In addition, First Milk works with other dairy based partners including:
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 Arla Foods is one of the UK's leading dairy companies, whose brands can be found across the dairy category. Arla supplies fresh liquid milk and cream to the UK's top seven retailers from their eight manufacturing sites, located from the Highlands of Scotland to Central London. First Milk supplies milk to a number of these sites, as well as working with Arla as part of a joint haulage arrangement to help minimise costs for farmers.
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 As the UK’s leading dairy chilled food supplier, First Milk has a longstanding working relationship with Dairy Crest. First Milk is Dairy Crest’s preferred external supplier of liquid milk and services a number of sites around the country. Dairy Crest is focussed on the liquid ‘middle ground’ market which includes independent retailers.
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 Nestlé is an international food industry name with a global reputation not just in coffee and chocolate but also yogurt and fromage frais. First Milk supplies milk into Nestlé’s Girvan factory in Scotland. Milk is also supplied into Nestlé’s Cumbria plant at Dalston where specialist powders are made for ingredients such as cappuccino drinks. We also work closely with Nestlé's ingredients buys to provide a range of powders for their manufacturing sites around the world.
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 One of the UK’s largest and most successful liquid milk processing businesses which procures, produces and delivers liquid milk to customers throughout the country from six major processing dairies in Aberdeen, East Kilbride, Glasgow, Manchester, Droitwich Spa and Bridgewater. First Milk are Robert Wiseman Dairies' largest external shareholders with a 10% stake in the company. |
 First Milk is ASDA's main cheddar supplier. We have worked closely with ASDA to provide a range of high quality regional cheddars which their customers demand. We have also increased consumer value by being first to market with the ASDA Brand cheddars being packed in the reclosable zip-lock packaging. With our joint work on regionality, ASDA has also been a big supporter of our work on provenance brands and lists our Lake District Cheese Co and Pembrokeshire Cheese Co brands. |
 As a like-minded co-operative organisation, First Milk is delighted to supply The Co-operative’s 3000 stores across the country with a range of cheddars from The Lake District Creamery, Campbeltown and Haverfordwest and our relationship goes from strength to strength. |
 First Milk has a long-standing relationship with Morrisons, focused on our Haverfordwest creamery. An ongoing development programme has ensured that the cheese flavours produced match Morrisons’ requirements. Morrisons has also been a big supporter of the Campbeltown creamery and uses its name to highlight the provenance of its Scottish cheddar range. |
 First Milk’s relationship with Sainsbury’s is focused on our Scottish creameries. Our Scottish premium brands – Isle of Bute Mature, Isle of Arran Medium and Mull of Kintyre Extra Mature – are currently stocked by the retailer. |
 As the leading retailer for developing regional sourcing, First Milk has carried out a lot of work with the Tesco regional buying teams. Our Scottish Highlands & Islands Cheese Co range has led much of the cheese category development in Scotland. Pembrokeshire Cheese Company has extended its distribution across all of Wales and The Lake District Cheese Company is supported in north-west England. Tesco deli counters sell Mull of Kintyre across all of Britain.
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 Our Mull of Kintyre brand is the lead product within Waitrose, with distribution throughout all stores. As Waitrose has extended its stores into Scotland and Wales, our range of cheeses has also grown and now includes Scottish Pride in Scotland and our Pembrokeshire Cheese Company and Waitrose Welsh cheddar in Wales.
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