A.E. Rodda & Son

What A.E. Rodda & Son does

A.E. Rodda & Son is a fifth-generation, family-owned Cornish dairy manufacturer founded in 1890 and headquartered at the original Scorrier creamery near Redruth, Cornwall. The company produces PDO-protected Cornish clotted cream as its flagship product — made via a traditional gentle-baking method that yields a characteristic golden crust — alongside vanilla clotted cream, Cornish butter, unhomogenised Cornish milk, shortbread, and fudge. Operations rely on milk sourced from 45 Red Tractor-certified Cornish farming families operating under bespoke Rodda's farm assurance standards, with blast-freezing technology enabling international export of frozen product to 12 markets including Japan, Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong.

The business operates a multi-channel commercial model: direct-to-consumer via the Rodda's online shop with Cream by Post nationwide next-day delivery; a dedicated B2B van-delivery service (Rodda's Direct) across Cornwall supported by a 24/7 online ordering platform and native mobile apps; listings across all six major UK grocers (Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Co-op, Asda, Morrisons); gift hampers and cream-tea bundles; and an emerging milk refill station service. D2C unit prices range from £5.70 (227g vanilla pot) to £15.20 (907g clotted cream tub), with hamper bundles priced £25–£38. Customer segments span individual consumers (primary), hospitality and food service in Cornwall, international distributors, and charity/community organisations supported through the long-running Cream Tea Society partnership with Wilkin & Son (Tiptree).

Corporate positioning is anchored by heritage (130+ years, royal and luxury historical accounts), regulatory protection (PDO status, European Commission 1998), and ESG credentials (B Corp recertified December 2024 with a score of 112.6, the highest in the UK dairy industry; Science Based Targets commitment to a 42% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030; Sedex-audited supplier). New production facilities at Scorrier are scheduled to commence operations in early 2026, part-funded by the UK Government UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and are expected to add ten skilled jobs. The company is privately held by the Rodda family with no external institutional investors identified, and is led by Managing Director Nicholas Rodda.

Name

A.E. Rodda & Son

Legal name

A.E. Rodda & Son Ltd

Website

https://roddas.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

A.E. Rodda & Son is a fifth-generation, family-owned Cornish dairy producer founded in 1890, manufacturing PDO-protected Cornish clotted cream, butter, milk, and shortbread for UK grocers, D2C customers, hospitality businesses, and 12 international export markets from its Scorrier, Cornwall creamery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Manufacturing

NAICS

Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Creamery Butter Manufacturing (311512), Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Butter, Cream & Dairy Fats (CRADACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAL), Sweet Cream Butter Manufacturing (AFAHACAA), Milk (Fluid & Shelf-Stable) (CRADACAA)

Keywords

• Cornish clotted cream
• Traditional dairy products
• Clotted cream manufacturing
• Dessert toppings
• Cornish butter

Headquarters

HQ city

Redruth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Online shop sales of Cornish clotted cream, vanilla clotted cream, Cornish butter, Cornish milk, shortbread, and fudge with next-day UK delivery
2. Rodda's Direct: Direct delivery service across Cornwall via Rodda's vans; includes grocery range of dairy and selected products to businesses; 24/7 online ordering platform
3. Wholesale and Trade: Bulk orders for events, party portions, and wholesale supply to retailers and food service businesses
4. International Export: Frozen clotted cream exported to international markets via distributors; blast freezing technology preserves quality during shipping

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

A.E. Rodda & Son manufactures traditional Cornish clotted cream, butter, and dairy-based desserts using cream sourced from Cornish dairy farms, selling them through its own retail gifting line, online shop, and the Rodda's Direct wholesale/foodservice channel. The company is a fifth-generation family dairy founded in 1890 and headquartered in Redruth, Cornwall, holding PDO status for its clotted cream.

Product overview

A.E. Rodda & Son is a family-owned Cornish dairy company founded in 1890, now in its fifth generation. The company produces traditional Cornish clotted cream (its flagship product carrying PDO status), along with vanilla clotted cream, Cornish butter, fresh milk, shortbread, and fudge. Rodda's operates several service offerings including Cream by Post (nationwide delivery), Rodda's Direct (B2B wholesale across Cornwall), and Milk Refill Stations for environmentally conscious consumers. The company also runs National Cream Tea Day and partners with Tiptree through The Cream Tea Society for charity initiatives. Products are available through major UK retailers including Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Co-op, Asda, and Morrisons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cornish Clotted Cream (PDO) Traditional Cornish clotted cream with Protected Designation of Origin status, sold to retail and foodservice customers across the UK.
• Rodda's Butter Cornish butter produced at the Redruth dairy facility, sold through retail and wholesale channels.
• Rodda's Milk-Based Desserts Milk-based dairy desserts produced at the Cornish dairy facility for retail and foodservice customers.
• Cream Tea / Cornish Hamper Gifts Gift hampers pairing Cornish clotted cream with scones, shortbread, and other regional accompaniments for retail and gifting purchases via the online shop.
• Rodda's Direct (B2B Wholesale) Wholesale and foodservice supply channel providing clotted cream, butter, and dairy desserts to UK retailers, hotels, cafes, and restaurants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced food waste by 75% over 3 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wilkin & Son, TiptreecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership running The Cream Tea Society. Both organizations donate up to 50,000 portions of Cornish clotted cream and jam annually to help charity event organizers. This partnership has helped raise over £1.4 million for hundreds of charities across the UK through National Cream Tea Day events.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arla Foods: Major dairy cooperative and UK category leader (Lurpak butter, Cravendale milk). Competitor in butter and dairy spreads with vastly greater scale, distribution leverage with retailers, and R&D capability.
• Müller: One of the largest UK dairy players, dominant in yogurt, cream, and chilled desserts. Competes for UK supermarket shelf space and foodservice dairy contracts.
• Saputo UK (formerly Dairy Crest): Owner of Cathedral City, Country Life butter, and other UK dairy brands. Competes in butter and dairy fats via Country Life and supplies UK retailers with significant scale advantages.
• Yeo Valley: Leading UK organic dairy brand producing yogurt, cream, butter, and milk. Comparable as a UK-focused premium dairy CPG with strong B Corp-style ethical positioning.
• Lactalis UK: Subsidiary of global dairy multinational Lactalis, producing cheese, butter, and cream under multiple brands in the UK. A scaled incumbent competing in overlapping dairy categories.

Others

• Wilkin & Son (Tiptree): Essex-based premium preserves and conserves producer, partner of Rodda's in The Cream Tea Society and National Cream Tea Day. Comparable as a complementary premium British heritage CPG brand in the cream tea occasion.

Emerging players

• Coombe Castle: UK cream specialist supplying dairy creams, clotted cream, and custard to foodservice and retail. Comparable as a focused cream-category player with overlapping product and channel exposure.

Direct peers

• Trewithen Dairy: Cornish dairy producer based in Cornwall, manufacturing milk, cream, butter, and yogurt from local farms. Direct regional peer given overlapping Cornish provenance, dairy product portfolio, and UK supermarket distribution.
• Longley Farm: Yorkshire-based independent family dairy producing cream, clotted cream, yogurt, and butter. Comparable as a family-owned UK cream specialist competing in similar premium and mainstream retail channels.

Regional players

• Kerrygold: Irish butter and dairy brand owned by Ornua, dominant in premium butter in the UK. Comparable as a regional premium-dairy brand with strong provenance positioning and UK supermarket listings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Roddas_Cream
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RoddasTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/RoddasClottedCream

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about A.E. Rodda & Son