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Around 30 new jobs are being created as part of a £70 million investment at Dale Farm’s cheddar processing facility in Dunmanbridge, Co. Tyrone.

The expansion follows continued customer growth across the UK, Europe and beyond, with the site exporting cheddar to 40 countries worldwide.

The project – believed to be one of the largest ever single investments by a Northern Ireland agri-food company – is on track to be completed by February 2025.

It includes upgrades and improvements to existing site-wide services and utilities, the installation of a high-speed automated cheese slicing line, a larger warehouse space, and investments in new patented products and processes.

Pictured L-R : Karen Gaw, group HR director at Dale Farm; Jon Young, general manager, Dunmanbridge, and Andrea Duncan, group HR manager, announce the creation of 30 new jobs at the company's Dunmanbridge site after a significant investment. Photo submitted

Karen Gaw, group HR director at Dale Farm, said: “Thanks to our innovative and dedicated people at Dunmanbridge and across the business, Dale Farm is growing into a leading cheddar manufacturer across Europe. From this facility in Mid-Ulster, we are exporting quality cheddar worldwide, and we are really excited to expand our team further as a result of this latest investment.

“There has never been a better time to build a career in the food industry. We want to continue to lead the sector and cement Northern Ireland as a global leader in quality, sustainable food production. We have ambitious plans for the future and across multiple disciplines we have opportunities for talented people to be part of that journey. "

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Situated outside Cookstown, the site currently directly supports over 1,100 local families, employing 345 people with 760 local farmers supplying milk.

Jon Young, general manager at Dale Farm Dunmanbridge, said: “Dale Farm is setting new standards for the industry in Northern Ireland and across Europe, integrating state of the art technology at the site to increase our capacity while also addressing our carbon footprint.

“This major investment will future proof our operation locally for decades to come. We’re proud to have such a world class team at Dunmanbridge, and of our role as a strong employer in the area, supporting the local families and farm businesses that are at the heart of our rural economy.”

Dale Farm is now recruiting for the new operative, technical, and engineering roles.

Dale Farm creating 30 news jobs near Cookstown as part of £70million expansion