Müller to invest £100m to improve dairy sector

Dairy company Müller has unveiled its plans to invest an additional £100m in its operational, innovation and marketing capabilities over the next 18 months.

According to Müller, dairy has the potential to be the grocery sector’s engine for growth for the foreseeable future with consumers, customers and farmers all set to benefit.

Müller Group chief executive Ronald Kers said: “The Müller brand is already ahead of Coca-Cola and Cadbury’s Dairy Milk in the top ten most purchased fast-moving consumer goods brands in the UK, picked from supermarket shelves 207 million times each year.

“Now we want to use our leadership position in dairy to rev-up the engine and work collaboratively with our customers and, of course, our farmers to delight consumers and realise the untapped potential that exists to grow this amazing category.”

Müller’s liquid milk, dairy ingredients and chilled yogurt and desserts business is now preparing an outline plans to unlock an additional £700m of category growth in the sector by 2020.

The company plans to invest in new filling lines and further upgrade the capacity and capabilities of existing production facilities at its Müller Yogurt & Desserts and Müller Milk & Ingredients businesses.

Müller Yogurt & Desserts commercial director Bill Mathieson said: “In the chilled yogurt and potted desserts (CYPD) sector, we will bring new excitement, innovation and game-changing product development to our branded and private label business, which is growing strongly.

“We see opportunities across the category from health to indulgence, and making CYPD available more often in relevant formats across the day.

“There is significant potential to introduce new and innovative formats and to increase the number of shopping points in stores where shoppers can buy our products to consume at home or on-the-go."

The investment will further reinforce Müller’s capabilities in liquid milk, cream, butter, ingredients, yogurt and chilled desserts.