Dairy Crest churns out rising profit

Dairy Crest yesterday said market-beating performances by brands including Cathedral City cheese and Country Life butter helped profits rise 5 per cent.

The dairy giant reported a 7 per cent rise in sales for its five key brands, which also include Clover and St Hubert, while the volume of milk sold to major retailers jumped 9 per cent after a new deal with Tesco. With the company's doorstep deliveries recording weekly sales of more than 1 million for the first time, Dairy Crest said profits adjusted for one-off items rose to 87.6m in the year to March.