Spreads put Dairy Crest in Clover

SPREADS are now the most profitable business at milk and cheese giant Dairy Crest as shoppers continue to snap up household favourites Clover and Utterly Butterly.

Chief executive Drummond Hall unveiled a 12% jump in group pre-tax profits to £35.4m for the first half to 30 September and said Dairy Crest was cashing in on its strong brand portfolio. TV campaigns for Clover and Utterly Butterly helped both gain market share over the summer with volume growth of 15%. Sales of Yoplait rocketed 36% over the six months.

Hall said the group was confident of achieving full-year expectations and was expecting that a settlement could soon be reached with farmers who have been picketing its depots in a dispute over wholesale milk prices. They argue that Dairy Crest is not passing on price rises promised by supermarkets for milk used in cheese production.