The Dairymen 2016: an action plan for British dairy

We’ve brought together some of the most brilliant thinkers and entrepreneurs in UK dairy and beyond to discuss the issues and come up with an action plan for the industry, which tackles the challenges and opportunities ahead as we move towards 2017.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for UK dairy going forward is dwindling consumption by the young, so at the heart of our action plan is Milk Does Good – a revolutionary new vision for milk marketing developed for us by creative agency RPM.

Milk Does Good is all about reminding people of the good milk can do for health, for British farming, and for the community. It is exciting, disruptive and challenges not only consumer perceptions of how milk can do good, but also those of the industry.

At the core of the campaign is the need to better promote the health benefits of dairy. Our consumer survey reveals shoppers are still very confused by mixed health messages, so we ask experts for ideas on how the industry can set the record straight.

Retailers also have a big role to play in stimulating demand, so we look at best practice and shine the spotlight on five fixtures that impress.

When discussing the future of dairy, it is impossible to avoid Brexit, which has piled uncertainty on volatility. So we quiz leading industry figures on their views about the implications and opportunities around Britain leaving the EU, and find out what they are doing to prepare for the changes ahead. We also ask Ornua Foods Europe CEO John Jordan and Dairy Crest CEO Mark Allen to share their thoughts on the future of their businesses, and the wider UK dairy sector, in post-Brexit Britain.

And we celebrate all the good the UK dairy industry is already doing, from tackling food waste to driving growth, innovation and employment despite tough market conditions.

As always, Dairymen 2016 also includes Focus On reports with analysis on the latest state of play across the major dairy categories.

Our Focus on Cheddar reveals which brands have survived supermarket range rationalisation, and how they plan to stay on shelf in the future, while our Focus on Milk explores whether the recent spate of NPD in the fixture is enough to turn its fortunes around.

We find out if the UK’s love for European cheese is set to survive Brexit in our Focus on Continental Cheese, and learn how the UK leaving the EU could actually give butter brands a boost in our Focus on BSM.

Our Focus on Dairy for Kids looks at how brands are innovating to boost consumption among younger generations, while our Focus on Dairy Drinks asks what impact the war on sugar is set to have on flavoured milks.

Finally, we ask why big is still better in our Focus on Yoghurts, explore why innovation is so important for Britain’s freezers in our Focus on Ice Cream and find out how suppliers are keeping up with booming demand for coconuts, nuts and soya in our Focus on Dairy Alternatives.

The Dairymen 2016