STAFF at the Severnside dairy face months of uncertainty, following the news that it is one of the sites being sold to yoghurt company Müller in an £80 million deal.

Dairy Crest announced its decision to sell its milk business to the German company on Thursday.

The yoghurt maker, which operates as Müller Wiseman Dairies in the UK following its acquisition of Robert Wiseman in 2012, is set to acquire four dairy sites and 72 depots, as well as the flavoured milk brand Frijj.

The move, which is subject to competition clearance, will allow Dairy Crest to focus on its cheese and spread operations, which include leading supermarket brands Clover and Country Life.

However, Stroud district councillor David Drew (Lab, Farmhill and Paganhill) has expressed his concerns about what this sale means for the future of the Severnside operation, which employs around 700 people.

He has also expressed concerns about the effect the sale could have on the Nampak factory in Stonehouse where milk plastic bottles are made
 

Dairy Crest’s dairies operations process and deliver around 1.3 billion litres of milk a year to major retailers, plus smaller retailers, coffee shops, hospitals, and residential customers.

The sale includes factories in Foston, Chadwell Heath and Severnside, as well as the Hanworth glass bottling site, where Dairy Crest is already consulting with employees about the site’s future.

A spokesman for Dairy Crest said the takeover would take several months to complete in line with regulations laid out by the competitions authority.

He also said that there would be no immediate change to the Stonehouse operation and staff there would be kept updated with any developments, and will be fully consulted throughout the process.

Müller said the combination will lead to production efficiencies and unlock the potential for higher levels of innovation, product development and greater exports of dairy products made in Britain.