Never mind the bullocks, Dairy Crest soars

Published on Thursday 12 November 2009 19:46

DAIRY Crest yesterday credited the success of its advertising campaign, starring John Lydon aka Johnny Rotten, formerly of the Sex Pistols, for a 9 per cent surge in half-year profits.

Its "Great British Butter" adverts gave a boost to sales of Country Life Spreadable, which rose 10 per cent in the six months to 30 September compared to a year earlier. The company recently claimed that Country Life is the fastest-growing butter brand in the UK.

Sales of all of Dairy Crest's five key brands – including Cathedral City cheddar, Clover and Frijj milk shakes – saw strong growth in the period, up a combined 10 per cent.

The company said underlying interim pre-tax profits rose to 38.1 million, up from 35.1m last year.

But it said it was continuing to slash costs, including closing its glass bottling operation at the Fenstanton dairy in Cambridgeshire, affecting 34 jobs.