Gay
Lea Foods says it has struck a deal to buy Stirling Creamery of Stirling, Ont.
Its
focus is specialty butters, so is a good fit with Gay Lea whose traditional
strength has been butters and milk powders.
Gay
Lea said the deal will give it added flexibility to further production capacity
and meet customer needs in the current high-demand market for butter.
Gay
Lea said it intends to maintain full operations at the Stirling plant and
preserve all relationships with existing Stirling Creamery customers, suppliers
and its 25 employees.
Financial
terms related to the deal have not been disclosed.
Gay
Lea is a farmer-owned co-operative. William West founded Stirling Creamery in
1925.
Chet
Blair has been the company’s Master Butter Maker for 30 years.
The company website says he has “continued the Stirling
tradition of b
arrel churning some of Canada’s finest butter in Stirling,
Ontario using local, fresh sweet cream. No colourants or preservatives here;
ours is all natural and artisanally crafted.’
