Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller has confirmed plans to invest GBP17m (US$27.3m) in a new UK facility that will see the company move into butter manufacturing in the country.

The Market Drayton site in Shropshire is expected to be operational by this autumn and will have the capacity to process around 90,000 tonnes of cream and 45,000 tonnes of butter, a spokesperson confirmed to just-food today (15 January).

The move into butter for the dairy firm’s UK operations would see the company follow a similar model to that adopted by its domestic operations in Germany where it produces a range of dairy products. In the UK, the company has traditionally produced yoghurts.

Muller last year took a near 94% stake in UK liquid milk firm Robert Wiseman Dairies and subsequently rebranded to Muller Wiseman.