Yeo Valley to extend organic dairy range

Yeo Valley Organic, the dairy company, is extending its range into organic milk and cheese, in an attempt to attract more mainstream consumers. The products will launch at the end of the month.

The new products will include two varieties of milk – whole-fat milk and semi-skimmed – and three varieties of cheddar – mild, medium and mature. Yeo Valley plans to add to the cheese range with regional and speciality hard cheeses, such as Vintage Farmhouse Cheddar, Cheshire and Red Leicester.

Yeo Valley marketing director Ben Cull says that the company believes that the launches will help to increase the organic share of both markets. He says: “The milk and cheese markets are worth almost &£4bn but in our view the organic sectors are not performing to their full potential.”

According to the company, the UK milk market is worth &£2.2bn but organic milk accounts for just two per cent of the total market. Yeo Valley is launching whole-fat milk and semi-skimmed milk because these are the most popular varieties with organic consumers.

The cheese market is worth &£1.7bn with organic cheese accounting for just &£18m of sales. Again, Yeo Valley is launching cheddar as it is already a popular product with organic customers. The company already has a range of organic yoghurts and butters.