Müller Milk and Ingredients has confirmed it is to shut its dairies in East Kilbride and Aberdeen after a review of the business found the sites were operating "well below capacity". 

The Aberdeen site employs 13 tanker drivers and nine HGV drivers, and is expected to close later this month.

Müller said it was looking to relocate its workers within its network where possible.

Müller Milk and Ingredients MD Andrew McInnes said: “We will support those who do not wish to [relocate] or for whom there are no roles within our business, and we have asked local agencies to work with us in this regard.”

Müller has offered farmers supplying the Aberdeen site the option of continuing to do so if they pay a transport surcharge of 1.75ppl on their product.

Those who do not wish to keep supplying Müller will see their contracts terminated in 12 months, but will not have to pay additional transport costs in the interim.

Drivers at the East Kilbride site may see less of impact as the dairy is less than 10 miles away from Müller’s larger Bellshill site, which is set to see a £15m upgrade following the review.

The site will continue to operate for between 18-24 months as Müller transfers the operation over to the larger dairy.

McInnes added: “Unfortunately the status quo was not sustainable within our Scottish dairy network, with both Aberdeen and East Kilbride dairies operating well-below capacity.

“By investing in Bellshill we will be better able to optimise the value in the milk we buy from dairy farmers.”

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