What Cotteswold Dairy does

Cotteswold Dairy is an independent, family-owned dairy processor and distributor headquartered in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, processing over 100 million litres of milk annually from farms within a 60-mile radius, many Red Tractor certified. Founded in 1938 and currently led by third-generation Managing Director George Workman, the company operates a main production site in Tewkesbury supported by a modern chilled warehouse and four regional depots in Cheltenham, Shrewsbury (Shropshire), Llandudno Junction (North Wales) and Hereford, distributing across England and Wales.

The business runs two primary channels. The first is a direct-to-consumer doorstep delivery service, where roundspeople on set routes deliver fresh milk and an extended range of daily essentials (cream, eggs, bread, butter, yogurt, cheese, juice, water, plant-based alternatives, and Durstons compost) to households on a recurring basis, with ordering via roundsmen, depots, or an online postcode finder. The second is a B2B/wholesale channel supplying retailers, cafes, hospitality venues and independent coffee shops, including the specialty Cotteswold Barista range sourced from dedicated Jersey and Guernsey herds. Underlying technology is operational rather than digital: pasteurisation, temperature-controlled multi-drop logistics, an electric milk-float fleet with telematics, a returnable glass bottle system reused ~30 times per bottle, and an industrial washing/sterilisation loop. No AI/ML capabilities, public APIs, or proprietary software platforms are evidenced.

The revenue model blends subscription-style recurring doorstep delivery (with roundsmen earning base salary plus weekly commission) and transaction-based B2B/wholesale sales across multiple pack sizes from 189ml to 24-pint pergals, complemented by distributed third-party brands (Hovis, Rodda's, Village Dairy yogurts, Dragon Welsh cheese, Alpro, Delamere, Yakult, Arla Lacto Free, Berrington, Eager, Durstons). Pricing is unit-based and publicly disclosed for consumer SKUs, with B2B and doorstep subscription rates quoted on depot enquiry. The company is privately held with no external parent, no known funding rounds, and no M&A activity disclosed in the source material.

Name

Cotteswold Dairy

Legal name

Cotteswold Dairy Ltd.

Website

https://cotteswold-dairy.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cotteswold Dairy is an independent, family-owned UK dairy (founded 1938) that processes over 100 million litres of milk annually and operates a doorstep delivery service and B2B wholesale channel across England and Wales via a Tewkesbury production site and four regional depots.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Products

NAICS

Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (42443), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Fluid Milk & Cream Processing (AFAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fluid Milk & Cream Wholesale (AFAIAEAA), Dairy-Based Beverages Manufacturing (Flavored Milk, Lassi, Drinkable Yogurt) (AFAKAKAH), Dairy & Refrigerated (Perishables) Distribution (CRAOABAD), Milk (Fluid & Shelf-Stable) (CRADACAA)

Keywords

• Dairy processing
• Milk delivery
• Fresh dairy products
• Doorstep delivery
• B2B dairy supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Tewkesbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Doorstep Delivery Product Sales: Cotteswold Dairy sells fresh milk, cream, and complementary products (bread, eggs, butter, yogurt, cheese, juice, water, compost) directly to household consumers through a doorstep delivery service. Customers place orders via their rounds person, local depot, or online, and receive regular deliveries.
2. B2B / Wholesale Product Sales: Cotteswold Dairy supplies fresh milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, juice and other products to businesses including retailers, cafes, and hospitality venues. Products are sold in various formats including retail packs, catering sizes (e.g. 24-pint Pergal), and the Cotteswold Barista specialist range.
3. Milk Round Commission and Delivery Fees: Delivery drivers on milk rounds earn commission payments (e.g. guaranteed commission per week) in addition to base salary, creating a performance-linked revenue component tied to customer acquisition and retention on delivery routes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cotteswold Dairy processes, packs and delivers fresh milk, cream and complementary dairy products directly to households via doorstep delivery and to businesses across England and Wales. The company sources milk from local farms within a 60-mile radius of Tewkesbury, manages pasteurisation and packing at its main production site, and distributes through four regional depots using electric milk floats and a returnable glass bottle system. The product range spans fresh British, Welsh, organic and Channel Island milk, fresh and clotted cream, Cotteswold Barista specialist milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, bread, eggs, juice, water, plant-based alternatives, and gardening compost.

Product overview

Cotteswold Dairy is an independent family-owned dairy business that operates as a doorstep delivery and B2B supplier across England and Wales. The company's core offering consists of fresh milk in multiple varieties (conventional British, Welsh, organic, and Channel Island), fresh cream and clotted cream, specialty barista milk, Welsh yogurt and cheese, bread, butter, free range eggs, juice, water, and plant-based milk alternatives. The product portfolio includes proprietary Cotteswold-branded products alongside third-party brands such as Hovis bread, Village Dairy yogurts, Dragon Welsh cheese, Alpro alternatives, Rodda's clotted cream, and Yakult probiotic drinks. Additional offerings include Durstons gardening compost products, delivering over 100 million litres of milk and dairy products annually from their Tewkesbury production site.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cotteswold Fresh British Milk Fresh British milk sourced from conventional dairy farmers, available in whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed varieties across multiple pack sizes from 189ml to 24-pint pergals for household and business customers.
• Cotteswold Welsh Milk Fresh milk sourced from Welsh dairy farmers, available in whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed varieties for doorstep and wholesale customers.
• Cotteswold Organic Milk Organic milk certified by Organic Farmers & Growers, available in whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed varieties for household and business customers.
• Cotteswold Glass Bottled Milk Fresh and organic milk in returnable, reusable glass bottles, including unhomogenised and Channel Island varieties from Jersey and Guernsey cows. Bottles are washed, sterilised and reused approximately 30 times before recycling.
• Cotteswold Barista Specialty milk range designed for coffee professionals, featuring unhomogenised whole and semi-skimmed varieties with high protein content for exceptional foam and latte art, sourced from dedicated Jersey and Guernsey herds.
• Cotteswold Fresh Cream & Clotted Cream Fresh cream products including double cream, single cream and whipping cream in sizes from 250ml to 24-pint pergals, plus Rodda's clotted cream in 227g and 907g formats.
• Village Dairy Welsh Yogurt Award-winning Welsh yogurt from Village Dairy, available as low-fat flavoured yogurts in 125g single-serve pots across 20+ flavours and 450g larger formats.
• Dragon Welsh Cheese Welsh cheddar cheese from South Caernarfon Creameries farmer-owned co-operative, available in mature, vintage and mild varieties in 180g, 350g and 5kg sizes.
• Hovis Bread Range of Hovis bread products including soft white, wholemeal, granary, best of both and seed sensation varieties in 800g and 750g formats, plus finger rolls and crumpets.
• Netherend & Dragon Welsh Butter English butter from Netherend Farm in salted, unsalted and organic varieties, plus Dragon Welsh salted butter and Lakeland Dairies Irish butter portions.
• Local Free Range Eggs Free range eggs from family-owned sustainable farms including Ellis Eggs and Freshfields Eggs in sizes from half dozen to catering trays.
• Delamere Dairy Milk Sterilised whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk in 500ml glass bottles, plus flavoured milks including chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana and iced coffee.
• Alpro Milk Alternatives Plant-based milk alternatives from Alpro including soya, almond and oat drinks in barista, organic and unsweetened varieties.
• Delamere Goats Milk Fresh whole and semi-skimmed goats milk from Delamere Dairy in 1 litre cartons.
• Eager Juice Glass bottled juice in multiple varieties including apple, orange, grapefruit, cranberry, pineapple and tomato juices in 1 litre and pint sizes.
• Berrington Springs Water Sustainable spring water sourced from protected land in Herefordshire, available in still and sparkling varieties in glass and plastic bottles from 330ml to 1.5 litres.
• Yakult Probiotic Drinks Probiotic yogurt drinks including Yakult Original, Yakult Plus and Yakult Balance in 65ml bottles.
• Durstons Compost & Garden Products Gardening products including soil conditioner, multi-purpose compost (peat free and standard), bulb fibre, enriched top soil, decorative bark and grow bags.
• Kefir Fermented milk drink sold in pint glass bottles through the doorstep delivery range.
• House of Lancaster Biscuits Assorted broken biscuits including chocolate varieties in 1.3kg and 1kg box sizes.
• Golden Acre Yogurt Thick and creamy full fat yogurt in fruit flavours including apricot, mango, cherry and strawberry in 150g containers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Processing over 100 million litres of milk per year across England and Wales
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Village Dairy (Llaeth Y Llan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVillage Dairy (Llaeth Y Llan) is a Welsh business and award-winning yogurt producer that sources milk from local farms close to their dairy. Their values align with Cotteswold Dairy's ethos, resulting in amazing low-fat, flavourful yogurts. Cotteswold Dairy distributes Village Dairy yogurts (sold in 125g and 450g formats across 20+ flavours) through both their doorstep and B2B channels.
• South Caernarfon CreameriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Caernarfon Creameries is a farmer-owned co-operative producing Welsh Dragon cheese. Cotteswold Dairy distributes Dragon Welsh cheddar cheese (Mature, Vintage, Mild varieties in 180g, 350g, and 5kg formats) through their Welsh product range, representing the highest quality cheese Wales has to offer according to Cotteswold Dairy.
• Netherend FarmcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetherend Farm is an English butter producer. Cotteswold Dairy has worked with Netherend for several decades, distributing their salted, unsalted, and organic butter rolls and portions. Netherend works alongside their farmers to ensure ethical and sustainable farming, aligning with Cotteswold Dairy's supplier ethos.
• HoviscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHovis is a major UK bread brand. Cotteswold Dairy distributes a range of Hovis bread products including Soft White, Granary, Wholemeal, Best of Both, and Seed Sensation varieties in 800g and 750g formats, available through both doorstep delivery and B2B channels.
• Berrington Spring WaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBerrington Spring is a sustainable bottled spring water sourced from protected land in the heart of Herefordshire, close to the Hereford depot. Cotteswold Dairy distributes Berrington Spring still and sparkling water in various formats (330ml glass, 500ml plastic, 750ml glass).
• Dragon Welsh (South Caernarfon Creameries)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDragon Welsh is the brand name for cheese from South Caernarfon Creameries, a farmer-owned co-operative. Distributed as Dragon Welsh Mature Cheddar (180g, 350g, 5kg), Dragon Welsh Vintage Cheddar (180g), and Dragon Welsh Mild Cheddar (5kg) through Cotteswold Dairy's Welsh product range.
• AlprominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlpro is a plant-based milk alternative brand. Cotteswold Dairy offers the Alpro range (soya, almond, oat drinks in professional and standard formats including organic and barista varieties) as part of their alternative milk product range to serve customers with dietary requirements or preferences beyond dairy.
• Delamere DairyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelamere Dairy supplies sterilised milk (whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed) in 500ml glass bottles, as well as flavoured milks (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana, iced coffee) and fresh goats milk. Distributed through Cotteswold Dairy's alternative and specialty milk range.
• DurstonsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDurstons is a manufacturer of growing media and complementary gardening products with a long-standing reputation in the UK. Cotteswold Dairy has worked with Durstons for several decades, delivering their compost products (soil conditioner, multi-purpose, peat-free, bulb fibre, top soil, decorative bark, grow bags) through their doorstep delivery service.
• Eager (Juice)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEager Juices supplies a range of fruit juices (orange, apple, grapefruit, cranberry, pineapple, tomato) in 1-litre formats. Distributed by Cotteswold Dairy alongside their glass bottled juice range, offering sustainable packaging options.
• Gloucestershire Engineering Training (GET)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCotteswold Dairy partners with Gloucestershire Engineering Training (GET) to provide a modern apprenticeship program for young people in the local area. GET offers access to a state-of-the-art training centre based in Gloucester. Trainee Engineers spend Year One exclusively at GET with regular L&D check-ins, then work on-site at Cotteswold Dairy from Year Two under a mentor, working towards a Level 3 qualification.
• PDT (Professional Driver Training)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2023, Cotteswold Dairy partnered with PDT (Professional Driver Training) to expand HGV driver training into their national depots. PDT covers every aspect of HGV training including Theory Modules, Certificate of Professional Conduct, and practical training in local centres. Cotteswold Dairy has been training HGV drivers at Tewkesbury since the second half of 2018, with a dedicated Learning & Development Coordinator since 2020.
• Rodda'sminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRodda's supplies clotted cream which Cotteswold Dairy distributes through their business products range. Rodda's clotted cream is available in 227g and 907g formats.
• Arla (Lacto Free)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArla Lacto Free semi skimmed milk (1 litre) is distributed by Cotteswold Dairy as part of their specialist/lactose-free milk range.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Lactalis UK: UK arm of global dairy group Lactalis, supplying cheeses, milk, cream, and butter to retail and foodservice. Competes with Cotteswold in B2B dairy supply, particularly into hospitality and foodservice channels across England and Wales.
• Müller Milk & Ingredients: UK arm of the Müller Group and a top-three UK dairy processor with significant fresh milk, cream, and ingredients supply. Directly comparable on B2B fluid milk and dairy ingredients, while also running the Milk & More doorstep service that competes with Cotteswold's residential channel.
• Saputo UK (formerly Dairy Crest): UK operations of Canadian dairy group Saputo, including the former Dairy Crest business covering cheese, butter, and dairy ingredients. Overlaps with Cotteswold on B2B dairy supply and foodservice ingredients, though at much larger scale and with a more retail/ingredient focus.
• Arla Foods UK: Farmer-owned dairy cooperative and the UK's largest dairy company, supplying fresh milk, cream, and dairy ingredients to retail and foodservice. Overlaps with Cotteswold across B2B and wholesale fluid milk, but operates at vastly greater scale with national supermarket contracts.

Direct peers

• Freshways: UK independent dairy processor supplying fresh milk, cream, and dairy products to independent retailers, convenience stores, and foodservice. Closely comparable to Cotteswold as a non-aligned processor focused on independent trade and foodservice customers.
• Wyke Farms: Independent, family-owned Somerset dairy producing cheddar, butter, and other dairy products with strong sustainability credentials. Highly comparable as a UK independent family dairy operating its own processing and B2B/wholesale distribution.
• Yeo Valley: Family-owned organic dairy brand and processor, with a strong B2B and retail presence across yogurts, cream, and milk. Comparable to Cotteswold in independent family ownership, organic certification, and B2B/wholesale supply to UK retail and foodservice.
• Longley Farm: Independent family-run Yorkshire dairy producing yogurts, cream, and dairy desserts with on-farm processing. Comparable to Cotteswold on independent family ownership, specialty dairy processing, and direct relationships with UK retail and foodservice customers.
• South Caernarfon Creameries: Farmer-owned Welsh dairy cooperative producing Dragon Welsh cheese. Already a distribution partner of Cotteswold and directly comparable as a Welsh-origin dairy processor supplying B2B and retail channels with regional provenance credentials.
• Milk & More (Müller): UK doorstep milk delivery service operated by Müller, the country's largest dairy processor. Directly comparable to Cotteswold's residential doorstep subscription model, though operating at substantially larger national scale and owned by a major processor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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• Instagraminstagram.com/cotteswold_dairy
• Xx.com/cotteswolddairy

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cotteswold Dairy