A NANTWICH cheese business has been bought out by Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products.

Ornua has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire F. J. Need (Foods) Limited, which is based in Spinneyfields Farm off Main Road.

Established by John Need in 1973, the family-run business includes a cheese cutting, grating and slicing facility, two cheese brands and a distribution fleet.

The acquisition is part of Ornua’s strategy of strengthening its businesses across Germany, North America and the UK>

Kevin Lane, CEO of Ornua said: “This acquisition will be another important milestone in Ornua’s growth as a global supplier of quality dairy products. We are buying an excellent family dairy business which allows us to significantly strengthen our presence in the UK ingredients sector.

“The complementary nature of our customer bases and the potential to further scale the business makes this a strong fit for Ornua. We are looking forward to working with Paul and Tracey Need to grow the business in the coming years.”

F.J. Need supplies a range of British and Irish cheese ingredients to the food service and food manufacturing sectors.

Ornua has been a supplier of Irish cheese to F.J Need for many years and the acquisition will strengthen this important supply channel.

F.J Need’s cheese production facility currently produces 16,000 tonnes per annum and Ornua believes that there is significant potential to expand the capacity.

The acquisition will be the latest in a series of significant investments by Ornua.