Cream price alert

THE owner of Country Life, Clover and Cathedral City cheese said rising cream prices have forced it to reduce advertising spending in its butter business.

Dairy Crest has been forced to wind- back promotional activity on Country Life butter to offset the pressure caused by the hike in the price of cream – a key ingredient in its production.

But trading in the first quarter remained in line with expectations and sales across key brands were 7pc ahead in the three months to the end on June on the same period a year before.

Sales of Cathedral City were up 15pc.