The Scotsman

Locals bid to swallow creamery

- By HANNAH BURLEY

A group of Kintyre dairy farmers has launched a crowdfundi­ng campaign to fund a community buyout of Campbeltow­n Creamery, producer of Mull of Kintyre cheddar.

The 29 family-owned farms are aiming to raise £50,000 towards the purchase of both the creamery and the Mull of Kintyre cheddar brand from current owner First Milk.

The Mull of Kintyre Milk Supply Co-operative will fund the deal through a levy from every litre of milk produced, in addition to the external funding currently being sought.

First Milk, a British farmer-owned dairy co-operative, announced plans last year to sell Campbeltow­n as part of a move away from smaller-scale brands.

The creamery has been producing cheese, using milk from the 29 farms in the area, since 1923 and making Mull of Kintyre cheddar since the 1970s.

The Kintyre farmers’ cooperativ­e is encouragin­g locals, foodies, customers, businesses and “anyone with a love of cheese” to contribute to the crowdfundi­ng round and support the community buyout. Local dairy farmer Thomas Cameron said: “We are currently facing a huge and exciting opportunit­y with a clear mission – to secure the future of the Campbeltow­n Creamery for the benefit of the Kintyre community.

“Dairy farms in the area need the creamery in order to thrive and the creamery needs us. Given the challenges of sustaining a vibrant economy in this remote part of Scotland, the role of the dairy sector in Kintyre is fundamenta­l to its success.”

The dairy farming industry in the Kintyre Peninsula and nearby Gigha contribute­s £3.2 million each year to the local economy and provides 117 jobs directly on-farm, with a further 49 indirectly across Kintyre, according to an economic impact survey carried out on behalf of Scottish Government body Highlands & Islands Enterprise in 2015.

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