THE award winning Sundale Free Range Dairy in the East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) has joined forces with Just Milk, the largest organisation of dairy farmers in the country, to acquire the iconic cheese operation, Cookhouse Creamery, previously owned by Dairybelle.
The move puts Sundale firmly on the national map and cements their position on the shelf alongside other big names in the industry.
The acquisition builds on a R4 million investment in a cheese factory at the East London plant in 2016.
Cookhouse is located in what can be considered the dairy belt of South Africa.
A mere 24km east of Somerset East, it is the home of many dairy farming operations.
The valley is fed by the Great Fish River, which provides for the agricultural crops and natural vegetation, supporting pasture-fed grazing in this farming community.
Cookhouse has also achieved much acclaim in the renewable energy sector as home to possibly the largest wind farm in Africa.
“Our interest in Cookhouse is twofold,” said CEO Pierre van Rensburg.
“It allows us to extend operations beyond the borders of East London without compromising on our promise of producing authentic pasture-fed dairy in its purest form. Affixers agree that proper Dutch gouda can only be produced from same day fresh milk, which is why Cookhouse is a natural fit for Sundale.
“For us to get Dutch style gouda right, we need to get it from the cow to the dairy on the same day. That’s why we focus on being close to our cows,” said Van Rensburg.
Sundale remains the largest employer in the ELIDZ and the Cookhouse operations are set to boost employment numbers even further.
“We have started recruiting and have invited applications from former Dairybelle employees,” said HR manager Brian Chitwa.
“There has been an overwhelming response from the local community.
“We will start operations with a team of about 30 people, including engineers and personnel for the finance department,” concluded Chitwa.
Massive upgrades are currently underway at the new Cookhouse facility and operations should be underway by mid-July.