Woodlands Dairy

What Woodlands Dairy does

Woodlands Dairy is a family-owned specialty dairy producer headquartered in Blandford Forum, Dorset, that manufactures organic sheep and goat milk yoghurts and cheeses for UK retail and direct-to-consumer channels. The company's core product range comprises Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt and Organic Sheep Milk Live Yoghurt (both in 450g pots) plus the Melbury hard sheep milk cheese (matured seven months, award-winning) and the newer Shaftesbury soft cheese (one-week maturation). Production relies on traditional methods including batch pasteurisation and a proprietary hot-potted yoghurt process in which pasteurised milk with culture is sealed in pots and incubated overnight, with HACCP, Soil Association organic, and SALSA food safety certifications providing compliance scaffolding.

The company makes money through one-time purchase sales of branded dairy products via two channels: a broad UK retail footprint spanning 95% of Waitrose stores, roughly half of Sainsbury's stores, over 300 M&S stores, and more than 800 independent health food shops, delicatessens, and farm shops, complemented by a direct e-commerce storefront on woodlandsdairy.co.uk selling cheese at UKP 14.99–16.99 with first-class UK delivery. Customer segments are horizontally split between UK supermarkets and specialty retailers on the B2B side and health-conscious or cow-dairy-intolerant consumers on the demand side.

At the group level, Woodlands Dairy Group operates through subsidiary Fairfield Dairy and in 2026 completed the acquisition of Ladismith Cheese Company and its subsidiaries (Ladismith Powder Company and Mooivallei Suiwel) from Sea Harvest Group, expanding the group's footprint into South Africa and adding cheese, butter, and milk powder production, making the group the largest wholly South African-owned, 25% Black-empowered dairy company in South Africa.

Name

Woodlands Dairy

Legal name

Woodlands Dairy

Website

https://woodlandsdairy.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Woodlands Dairy is a family-owned Dorset-based dairy producing organic sheep and goat milk yoghurts and cheeses, including the award-winning Melbury cheese, sold through UK supermarkets, 800+ independent retailers, and a direct online shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Organic Dairy Products

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Sheep and Goat Farming (1124), Goat Farming (112420)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Yogurt & Cultured Dairy Products Manufacturing (Kefir, Sour Cream, Labneh) (AFAKAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic/Regenerative Sheep & Goat Production (AFAEAFAI), Organic Sheep & Goat Production (AFAEAMAE)

Keywords

• Organic dairy products
• Sheep milk yoghurt
• Artisan cheese production
• Goat milk dairy
• Organic sheep milk

Headquarters

HQ city

Blandford Forum

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail yoghurt and cheese sales: Sale of organic sheep and goat milk yoghurts and cheeses through major UK supermarket chains (Waitrose, Sainsbury's, M&S) and independent health food shops.
2. Direct e-commerce sales: Online direct-to-consumer sales of sheep milk cheese via the company's website shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Woodlands Dairy produces and sells organic sheep and goat milk yoghurts and cheeses from its Dorset-based facility. The product range centres on Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt and Organic Sheep Milk Live Yoghurt in 450g pots, plus the award-winning Melbury hard sheep milk cheese (matured 7 months) and Shaftesbury soft sheep milk cheese. Products are sold through major UK supermarket chains, independent health food retailers, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront.

Product overview

Woodlands Dairy is a family-owned dairy company based in Dorset, UK, specializing in organic sheep and goat milk products. Their product portfolio consists of two main product lines: yoghurts (Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt and Organic Sheep Milk Live Yoghurt, both in 450g pots) and cheese (award-winning Melbury hard cheese matured 7 months, and new Shaftesbury soft cheese maturing in one week). The company uses traditional methods with batch pasteurisation and no extra ingredients, with products audited by the Soil Association and SALSA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Melbury: Hard sheep's milk cheese matured for 7 months, named after the location of the company's sheep's milk farm near Shaftesbury in Dorset. Won 2 awards at the Royal Bath & West Show's British Cheese Awards.
• Shaftesbury

Products and services

• Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt

Quantifiable outcome

• Sheep milk yields 18 to 25 percent more yoghurt or cheese per gallon than goat and cow milk
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sea Harvest GroupmajorOthers · 25 November 2025Woodlands Dairy Group proposed to acquire 100% of Ladismith Cheese Company and its subsidiaries (Ladismith Powder Company and Mooivallei Suiwel) from Sea Harvest Group. The transaction would expand Woodlands' national footprint across South Africa and make it the largest wholly South African-owned, 25% Black-empowered dairy company. Sea Harvest Group intended to use proceeds to de-leverage its balance sheet by repaying long-term debt in its South African operation as part of its strategic refocus on seafood businesses.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Delamere Dairy: UK goat milk dairy producing yoghurts, cheeses and milk drinks. Directly comparable as another specialist UK dairy focused on alternative-milk products positioned at health-conscious and dairy-intolerant consumers.
• Neal's Yard Dairy: UK artisan cheesemonger and wholesaler specialising in British and Irish farmhouse cheeses, including sheep milk cheeses. Comparable as a UK specialist cheese operator in the premium/artisan segment overlapping with Woodlands' Melbury and Shaftesbury ranges.
• Llaeth y Llan: Welsh organic dairy producing yoghurts and cheeses from cow, sheep and goat milk. Comparable niche UK dairy competitor operating in the same organic, multi-species product positioning and targeting similar health-conscious and dairy-intolerant consumers.
• Wyke Farms: Somerset-based family-owned dairy producing cheeses (notably cheddar) and butter with national UK supermarket distribution. Comparable UK family-owned dairy manufacturer operating across multiple cheese categories with similar retail customer base.
• St Helen's Farm: UK-based sheep and goat milk dairy producing yoghurts, cheeses and milk. Closest direct peer to Woodlands, competing in the same niche alternative-dairy category with similar retail distribution through UK grocers and farm shops.

Broad incumbents

• Lactalis: World's largest dairy group with extensive UK presence (including Président, Galbani cheese brands). A broad global incumbent in dairy and cheese whose UK cheese portfolio competes in the same supermarket aisles as Woodlands' cheese SKUs.
• Saputo: Global dairy company with significant UK operations (including the former Dairy Crest cheese business, Cathedral City). Comparable broad incumbent in dairy manufacturing, particularly cheese, competing for UK retail cheese shelf space.
• Arla Foods: Global dairy cooperative and one of the largest dairy suppliers to UK supermarkets (own-label and brands including Lurpak, Cravendale). A broad incumbent providing scale competitive pressure across all UK dairy categories including yoghurt and cheese.
• Yeo Valley: One of the UK's largest organic dairy brands, producing yoghurts, milk, butter and cream with deep supermarket penetration. A broader organic dairy incumbent whose product range overlaps with Woodlands' yoghurt portfolio and shares the same major UK grocery customers.
• Müller: Major UK dairy processor and yoghurt category leader (Müller Corner, Müller Light). A broad incumbent dominating UK supermarket yoghurt shelf space that Woodlands must compete against for facings and consumer attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/woodlandsdairy
• Facebookfacebook.com/woodlandsdairyUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/woodlands-dairy

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Woodlands Dairy