The UK’s Dairy Crest Group has said its trading in the first quarter was in line with expectations and said it plans to close a factory in Enfield.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


“I am pleased to confirm that trading for the first three months of the current financial year ending 31 March 2005 is in line with our expectations,” chairman Simon Oliver told the company’s Annual General Meeting.


Oliver also said the company has successfully completed a new five year £350m (US$648.3m) loan facility with a syndicate of 11 banks. The facility, which comprises an £80m term loan and a £270m revolving credit, is to refinance existing debt and for general corporate purposes.


The company also announced that its fresh dairy products joint venture, Yoplait Dairy Crest, plans to close its Enfield factory in early 2005 with the loss of approximately 320 jobs. The site currently supplies own label products to retailers and the ingredients markets.


“The closure will have a negligible impact on Dairy Crest Group profits, excluding exceptional items, for the year ending 31 March 2005 but will result in an exceptional cash cost in the region of £2m, representing Dairy Crest’s share of the closure costs,” Oliver said.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact