Co-op boss in pricing pledge to dairy farmers

CO-OPERATIVE Food regional chief Matthew Speight has put his faith in his company’s ethical relationship with more than 200 diary farmers who are protected from selling milk at a loss.

Speight, managing director of the Co-op’s central division in the UK, which covers the North West, was speaking in the wake of the NFU’s agreement with rival supermarket chain Morrisons which means customers are to be given the option of paying a higher price for their milk.

He told TheBusinessDesk: “We have a close, dedicated relationship with just over 200 farmers, who form The Co-operative Dairy Group.

“Its benefits include the provision of a competitive pricing package against the backdrop of low farmgate prices, while are farmers share best practice to promote animal welfare and environmental improvements and are helped with training.”

Speight, who joined the Co-op 10 months ago and has held senior finance and administration roles with Aldi and Tesco Express, also said the company was well on course to becoming the UK’s number one convenience store retail outlet by 2017.

“I am pleased to say the Co-op is getting back to its best,” he said. “We have gained some momentum and we are looking to build on it.”

He reiterated that the Co-op was looking to invest £7.5m across Greater Manchester alone and was looking to recruit more than 75 new staff, with the company nationally looking to fill upwards of 1,000 vacancies.

The company was also looking to pursue more than 100 new convenience stores during 2015, he said.

“We are being driven forward by a new senior leadership team with the group headed by Alan Leighton,” Speight continued. “We have a much more robust governance.

“Out stores are being transformed to give a more customer-centric offer as the market is changing hugely at the moment.

“The UK is the most competitive market place for fresh food and not everyone is still going to be her in five years’ time.

“The reality is that the days when people wanted to spend two hours on a Saturday morning doing their monthly shop are gone. People want to shop little and often because they have busy family lives. This is something we had to respond to.”