Lakeland Dairies this week hosted its farmer suppliers, members of the local community and other stakeholders at its Open Day at the Newtownards site.

The open day was also attended by the Mayor of Ards and North Down, Cllr. Gillian McCollum.

Visitors got to see behind the scenes access to the latest in dairy production and innovation where the cooperative produces over 140,000t of dairy products for the domestic and global markets.

There was also a tour of the co-op's award-winning Global Logistics Centre, which dispatches 30 shipping containers daily.

The event showcased Lakeland Dairies’ multi-million pound investment over recent years, including cutting-edge automation, pioneering sustainability initiatives such as a carbon-neutral Combined Heat and Power plant, and the establishment of a Research and Knowledge Centre dedicated to global dairy trends and innovation.

Group CEO, Lakeland Dairies, Colin Kelly said, “[This] event gives our farmers a valuable insight into what happens to their milk after collection, and the vital role they play in delivering world-class dairy products to global markets.

"Today’s event shows how that investment is making a real difference while last year we paid £515 million to our farmers across Northern Ireland.”

In Newtownards, Lakeland Dairies employs over 270 people and produces dairy products for the domestic and global markets.

The company said that it works with over 1,000 farm families across Northern Ireland.