Cheese firm marks Lockerbie milestone

IT was a ‘Gouda’ turnout on Thursday for the 50th anniversary of Lockerbie’s Arla plant, accompanied by the official unveiling of its new facilities. Since opening in 1975, Arla Lockerbie has grown into one of the UK’s largest cheese-making facilities. The company has recently invested £34 million to upgrade its cheddar facilities and will now expand the site with a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for the production of UHT and lacto free milk in the UK. Lockerbie lad and site director Richard Collins, has worked for Arla for 35 years, working across Europe before moving back the area six years ago. He said: “I started here as a boy, 35 years ago straight out of school, and I’ve managed to work my way up through the company and I’ve had some great opportunities through Arla, which included me going away to work in Europe and coming back here. “What’s great for me to see is the investment in the area and south-west Scotland. My aim when I came back here was to put Lockerbie back on the map and get some investment in the area and in the business, and we’ve managed to secure that. We’ve been backed in terms of keeping jobs in Scotland, investing in the Scottish cheese and milk market, so it’s great that Arla have backed Lockerbie and Scotland, so I’m really really chuffed.” [caption id="attachment_63631" align="aligncenter" width="428"]

SAY CHEESE . . . Paul Dover, UK agricultural director for Arla
with site director Richard Collins outside the new building[/caption] Mairi Gougeon, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, officially opened the new cheddar facilities building. She said: “This is not just a proud moment for Arla, but for the Lockerbie community and the wider South of Scotland region. “Our food and drink industry is uniquely placed to grow the economy, with the Scottish dairy sector valued at more than £560 million in 2024, and this project shows this can be done, whilst also reducing emissions. The scale of investment here represents a real boost to the local economy, strengthens vital partnerships with Scottish farmers and suppliers, and sends a clear signal of confidence in the future of Scotland’s dairy sector. It reflects a shared ambition for long-term sustainability, innovation and growth, something the Scottish Government warmly welcomes.” Arla Lockerbie today takes in over 600 million litres of milk every year, producing around 200 million litres of fresh bottled milk and 42,000 tonnes of cheese. Looking to the future, Fran Ball, VP of UK supply chain at Arla Foods, added: “This is a landmark moment for Lockerbie. As we celebrate 50 years of production, we’re also unlocking the site’s next era with significant investment to power future growth. This month we’ve already delivered major technology upgrades as part of our £34 million enhancement of cheddar production, and we’re thrilled to confirm the start of construction for the new Centre of Excellence for UHT and lacto-free milk at Lockerbie—bringing 90 new roles and fresh opportunities to the local community.”