THE IRISH Dairy Board has continued its active acquisition and disposal strategy with the acquisition of UK cheese ingredients company, the Cheese Warehouse.

The acquisition comes a month after the exporter sold its Belgian cheese-packaging business to Dutch dairy co-operative Royal FrieslandCampina.

The Cheese Warehouse is based in Shropshire, England, where it produces cheese-based products such as grated and diced cheese, which are then supplied to food companies.

Established in 2004, the Cheese Warehouse had turnover of €38 million for the year ending February 29th last.

Irish Dairy Board chief executive Kevin Lane said the acquisition would complement its existing cheese ingredients operations in Britain.

He added that it would also help to develop the dairy board’s business in Britain as Ireland looked for new purchasers for Irish dairy produce following the abolition of milk quotas in 2015.

The Irish Dairy Board, which exports most of Ireland’s dairy products and has sold to markets in 80 countries, already has a significant presence in Britain.

Its Adams Foods plant in Leek in Staffordshire packs about a third of Britain’s hard cheeses. It also has a significant food ingredients operation.

The Irish Dairy Board also owns Meadow Cheese, a cheese and dairy-based ingredients company acquired in 2003.

About 31 per cent of the Irish Dairy Board’s exports last year went to the UK.