Canadian dairy cooperative Gay Lea Foods Co-operative has agreed to acquire local cheese manufacturer Thornloe Cheese from EastGen. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Thornloe Cheese operates one retail store and services a wide range of wholesale customers in northern Ontario and Quebec. The deal includes all of the company’s operations.
Located approximately 520km north of Toronto, Thornloe Cheese has been a local producer of cheese and cheese curds in north-eastern Ontario for over 75 years.
The company also produces speciality cheeses and according to Gay Lea Foods, introduced the first butter and cheeses made with milk sourced from Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) Verified Grass Fed programme.
“Thornloe Cheese has a long and storied history in northern Ontario and holds a special place in the hearts of northern dairy farmers and consumers alike,” said Gay Lea Foods chair Rob Goodwill.
Goodwill added: “We are pleased to keep Thornloe Cheese in the hands of a wholly Canadian dairy farmer-owned co-operative and help keep north-eastern Ontario’s rich agricultural legacy alive.”
The recent acquisition follows Gay Lea Foods deal with General Mills earlier this year to acquire Western Creamery. Also located in Ontario, Western Creamery makes a variety of dairy products including natural yogurts, cream cheese spreads, pressed cottage cheeses and sour creams.
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