Dairy Crest is changing its name to Saputo Dairy UK, following its acquisition by Saputo Inc. The name change will have no impact on Dairy Crest’s consumer-facing brands, including Cathedral City, Clover, Country Life and Frylight.

Tom Atherton, president and chief operating officer of Saputo Dairy UK, said, “Since the acquisition completed in April, we have received resounding feedback from our employees that now is the time to rebrand the company, marking a new phase in our development as we integrate ourselves into the Saputo family. Cathedral City and our other market-leading brands have always been our prime focus, and that will remain the case. Our consumers will see no change to our much-loved products.”

Dairy Crest began in the 1960s when the Milk Marketing Board (MMB) began selling cheese and butter under the name. In the 1980s the MMB’s milk processing operation was spun off into a separate division called Dairy Crest, which was the buyer of last resort for all surplus raw milk. The brand developed over time and became synonymous with liquid milk and milkmen as the doorstep business expanded. 

In 2015, the company sold its dairies business, thereby marking the end of its longstanding association with liquid milk. On April 15, Saputo Inc. completed its acquisition of Dairy Crest.