The contract award means Dale Farm, which is headquartered in NI and has multiple processing and manufacturing sites across the UK, will be Lidl’s main cheddar supplier on a global basis.
In turn, the leading retailer now becomes Dale Farm’s biggest cheddar customer.
Liam Casey, commercial director of Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland, explained that Dale Farm’s product excellence, together with its export capabilities, secured the deal:
“We are delighted to expand our Dale Farm partnership with this significant new arrangement to list its world-class, locally-made cheddar right across our UK, Europe and transatlantic store-base. Dale Farm’s excellent track record on product quality, innovation and provenance, as well as its distribution and export expertise, make it a strong and strategic choice for Lidl as we continue our drive to provide shoppers with the best choice, standard and value for money.”
Lidl’s Northern Ireland Director, Conor Boyle, added: “Dale Farm has been a valued and trusted Lidl supplier for many years, and this deal strengthens and secures that relationship for the future. It is a coup for Dale Farm and for Lidl, allowing us to introduce and showcase this stunningly good Northern Ireland product to our customers around the world.”
Dale Farm produces its multi-award-winning cheese range, using milk supplied by its co-operative members, at its Dunmanbridge plant near Cookstown in County Tyrone. The cheddar range will go on-shelf in Lidl Ireland under the supermarket’s ‘Rathdaragh’ own-brand, in the UK and Europe as ‘Valley Spire’ and ‘Milbona’, and in the US as ‘Preferred Selection’.
Stephen Cameron, Dale Farm Group Commercial Director, said:
“Strengthening our long-term global partnership with Lidl is great news for the 1,300 farmers who own the Dale Farm co-operative. The scale of this contract is testament to the high standard of the milk our farmer owners provide us with to consistently create world-class cheddar cheese. It also demonstrates the continuing strength and sustainability of our farmer owned co-operative business model.”
Conor Boyle Lidl Northern Ireland Director and Stephen Cameron Dale Farm Group Commercial Director