Cornish dairy producer Rodda’s, known for its clotted cream, is investing £6 million in a new cottage cheese production facility at its Scorrier site, as the company looks to capitalise on growing UK demand for high-protein dairy products.
The project, which is entering its final commissioning phase, will add specialist cottage cheese manufacturing equipment alongside Rodda’s existing operations in Cornwall. The expansion is expected to create up to 20 skilled jobs and deliver annual production capacity of 4,000 tonnes of cottage cheese.
The investment comes amid strong growth in the UK cottage cheese market, driven by changing consumer diets and increasing demand for high-protein, natural dairy products.
According to Worldpanel by Numerator data for the 52 weeks ending 28 December 2025, UK cottage cheese market spend increased 41.9% year on year to £102.2m, while purchase volumes rose 28.1% to 25.6 million kilograms.
Separate NIQ Homescan POD data showed monthly UK cottage cheese sales volumes increased by around 88% between the start of 2023 and December 2025, prompting producers to expand manufacturing capacity to meet retailer demand.
Once operational, the Scorrier site will become one of a limited number of dedicated cottage cheese manufacturing facilities in the UK. Rodda’s said the new line will supply leading UK retailers and support wider domestic dairy production capacity.
The company currently handles around 61 million litres of milk annually, with only around 7% historically used for its flagship clotted cream range. Much of the remaining skimmed milk has traditionally been sold into the commodity market.
By producing cottage cheese on site, Rodda’s said it will be able to utilise more of its milk intake in higher-value dairy SKUs.
“As a fifth-generation Cornish dairy business, we’re proud to be investing in a new manufacturing capability in Scorrier and in skilled jobs for local people,” Nicholas Rodda, managing director of Rodda’s, said. “It’s a business-led investment that also supports our long-term ambition to run a more efficient manufacturing business here in Cornwall, with our journey increasingly guided by circular-economy principles.
“Cottage cheese is one of the fastest-growing dairy categories in the UK, and this facility allows us to respond to that demand while getting more value from every litre of milk we buy from our farming families.
“This more efficient use of our milk intake will not only support farmgate returns, but also provide more predictable demand for farming families in the Rodda’s supply chain, and strengthen domestic food production resilience.”
The project will introduce new automation and processing technology at the Scorrier facility, with Rodda’s also planning to upskill existing staff and recruit additional technical dairy workers.
The investment includes £500,000 in support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, allocated by Cornwall Council through the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme.
Production at the new facility is expected to begin this summer, while Rodda’s existing creamery operations in Scorrier will continue producing clotted cream, butter and speciality milk products.
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