Italian dairy producer Granarolo has acquired 100% of West Horsley Dairy with a view to consolidating its presence in the United Kingdom, particularly in London, by reaching strategic customers.

West Horsley Dairy is a dairy products (milk, cream, cheese, yogurt) and breakfast product distributor, founded by Philip and Catherine Colton in 1992. It employs 73 people and operates a fleet of 43 refrigerated vehicles that travel throughout southeast England, serving approximately 500 customers, primarily restaurants, pubs, and hotels. It boasts a solid reputation for quality, unparalleled service excellence, and extensive distribution coverage in the London area. Its turnover was £16 million in 2024.

In England, Granarolo operates through Granarolo UK Ltd. This expansion occurred in February 2018 thanks to the 100% acquisition of the Midland Food Group, a distributor of fresh, ambient, and frozen food products in the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom, Granarolo currently represents 12.8% of Italian daily exports. Specifically, Granarolo's volume growth in the UK was 8.6% over the previous year.

For Granarolo, foreign sales will account for approximately 40% of total sales in 2025. The company has established itself as a leading player in the export of Italian dairy products worldwide, accounting for 9.1% of total Italian dairy sales worldwide.

In the 2026-2029 strategic plan, internationalization, and in particular the UK and Germany, are target countries in Europe. "Consolidation in the UK is an important part of the Group's growth policy abroad," says Gianpiero Calzolari , president of Granarolo SpA. "The plan is to significantly increase total Italian dairy volumes in the UK, focusing on the London HoReCa and food service markets, where West Horsley has consolidated its presence."

“Over the course of the year we aim to complement the West Horsley product portfolio with our extensive range of fresh and mature Italian cheeses such as Mozzarella, Burrata, Stracciatella, Mascarpone, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, Gorgonzola PDO and Pecorino PDO, and other Italian specialities,” added Anthony Bosco , Chief Executive Officer of Granarolo UK.

"We are delighted to sell West Horsley Dairy to a company like Granarolo, which has made the quality of its products a core value. We are confident that it will be a perfect match and will maximize the value of West Horsley's offering, to the great satisfaction of the many customers who have placed their trust in us over the years," commented Philip and Catherine Colton , founders of the company.