St Ivel

For the figure-skating event named after St Ivel's sponsorship, see St. Ivel International.

File:St-ivel-logo.png

St.Ivel logo (1992)

St Ivel is a brand of dairy products in the United Kingdom. It began as a subsidiary under the ownership of the Unigate dairy company with most production sites in the south west of England and some in Wales. Most of its brands were bought in the early 2000s by Dairy Crest following a severe decline in doorstep deliveries of milk – previously a major area of business for owners Unigate.

Low fat spreads

The spreads division, which included the Gold low-fat brand, manufactured in Kirkby in Merseyside, were bought by Dairy Crest in November 2002 for £86m from Uniq. Uniq had been formed from what was left of Unigate after selling its cream division to Dairy Crest in 2000. When the spreads division had gone as well, Uniq and the former Unigate were barely recognisable.

Cream

The cream division was bought by Dairy Crest from Unigate/Uniq in July 2000.

Yoghurts

St Ivel, being owned by Uniq/Unigate, used to make Shape yoghurts in Wootton Bassett in Wiltshire, before this brand was sold off to Danone for £32m. The factory closed in February 2003, having opened in 1908, and is now the Beaufort Park housing estate after being sold for £19m in August 2004. The factory was demolished in June 2005.

Milk

Under the St Ivel name, Dairy Crest makes milk promoted to school-age children with added Omega 3 fatty acids. Robert Wiseman Dairies of Scotland had tried unsuccessfully to buy the milk division of Unigate in 2000.

Juice

St Ivel also manufacture Mr Juicy. This can be purchased in a range of flavours, however, the most common one is orange.

Production sites

St Ivel had other sites in Chichester, Evercreech, Chard, a site scheduled to close 2012 in Minsterley, Shropshire, and St Erth in Cornwall. Cheese was made in Haverfordwest, Carmarthen.