Dale Farm Secures Japan Contract
Dale Farm has secured its first cheese export deal in the Japanese market, signing a deal with major food manufacturer Hoko Co Ltd.
Hoko will be importing Dromona cheddar for use in its cheese production process, through which it seeks to bring the taste of natural cheddar to the Japanese consumer.
Hoko Co Ltd sells dairy and frozen foods into the retail, wholesale and catering sectors. The company imports high quality natural cheddar cheese from across the globe which is then processed to create cheese products suited to the tastes and dietary preferences of the Japanese consumer.
The company will now use Dromona cheese for this purpose following a visit to Dale Farm’s cheddar production facility at Dunmanbridge, Cookstown, Northern Ireland earlier this year. The contract announcement was made by Dale Farm at global food exhibition SIAL in Paris, France, this week.
Stephen Cameron, Dale Farm’s Group commercial director, commented: “We are delighted to have secured this significant contract with Hoko Co Ltd, one of Japan’s leading food manufacturing companies. Our Dromona cheddar reflects the quality and flavour that Hoko is looking for in order to deliver the authentic taste of cheddar cheese to the Japanese consumer.”
Following a £50 million investment programme into its processing plants across the UK last year, Dale Farm now has one of the most advanced cheese production facilities in Europe, capable of producing up to 50,000 tonnes of high quality cheddar per year.
“By investing heavily into our processing facilities we have been able to increase our capability and international competitiveness,” Stephen Cameron continued.
*Pictured top is (l-r): UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Elizabeth Truss; Stephen Cameron and Alison Blair, Dale Farm; Toshihiro Meguro and Junya Masuda of Mitusi, the company that helped coordinate Dale Farm’s recent export contract to Hoko Co Ltd
