Submission deadline: Friday 17th July

Writers for individual features are yet to be assigned.

In the first instance, please direct any editorial queries to:

Commissioning editor Carina Perkins (carina.perkins@thegrocer.co.uk)

For Focus On features, Rob Brown (rob.brown@thegrocer.co.uk)

Download the full synopsis here.

It’s been a year of momentous change for the UK dairy industry. And it has been a year of enormous changes in the board rooms of major dairy companies and organisations. That is why in this year’s Dairymen, The Grocer will tell the story of dairy through the people that make and shape the industry in 2015.

We will analyse who the new power players in UK dairy are, what ideas they bring to the table and what challenges and opportunities they face.

Our people-focused coverage will span dairy players of all types and sizes: we will profile some of the biggest game changers to head up UK dairy companies now as well as showcasing the smartest entrepreneurs working in dairy SMEs today. We will highlight exciting new up-and-comers but also celebrate long-standing iconic industry stalwarts who have made UK dairy what it is today.

All the while, we will tackle the biggest issues facing the industry this year: from the removal of EU milk quotas and big-ticket M&A to volatile global commodity markets, a challenging public health agenda and an intensely competitive retail environment, where volumes remain under pressure and smart NPD and category vision are paramount. This is a climate that demands industry players are at the very top of their game if they want to remain competitive – and the Dairymen 2015 will deliver the insight to help dairy companies achieve this.

Dairy’s new power players

There’s nary a UK dairy company or organisation that hasn’t seen significant senior management changes in the past 12 months. We profile who the new power players in dairy are, what their vision for UK dairy is, and the challenges and opportunities they face.

Dairy’s brightest entrepreneurs

The Grocer profiles 10 outstanding entrepreneurs working in UK dairy today. From established industry icons with a knack for reinvention to new upstarts bringing fresh thinking to the sector, this is a stunning feature to celebrate the best in UK dairy SMEs and entrepreneurial thinking.

Creative challenge: healthy aging

The Grocer teams up with a creative agency to come up with fresh branding and NPD ideas for dairy to tap the healthy aging trend and target older consumers.

Selling dairy online

With online shopping increasingly important, we analyse how shopper behaviour around dairy products differs online and in-store, and what the implications are for retailers and suppliers.

Views from the Top: exports

A panel of leading industry figures debate the opportunities and challenges around dairy exports

What consumers want from dairy in 2015

Exclusive consumer research commissioned for The Grocer Dairymen

The Big Interview

By invitation only – not open to submissions

Focus on Reports

Focus On Cheddar

It’s fightback time for Cheddar. Sales are floundering, own label is gaining share, and now retailers are looking to cull SKUs. So what do brands have planned to fight back? We will also be featuring territorial cheeses within this report.

Focus On Continental Cheese

A look at the key trends shaping the Continental cheese category

Focus On Dairy Trends

The Grocer looks at the ‘mega trends’ shaping the dairy category in 2015: from sugar reduction to protein and fermentation including a look at the key trends shaping the dairy snacking categories – both for kids and adults

Focus On Milk

The supermarket milk price war continues to be the defining story of the liquid milk category. But it’s also put more pressure on retailers to explain how they are working with processors and producers to safeguard them from retail price cuts as much as possible. We analyse the impact the recent price cuts have had on sales, and look at how the main retailers vary in their approach to dedicated supply and dairy farmer payments and what the current thinking is on best practice approaches.

Focus On Milk Drinks

Growth in milk drinks remains good but has slowed down compared with previous years. What are suppliers doing to ensure consumer interest in the category remains high? With coffee and coffee variations having been the flavour of the month for long, what is the next wave of NPD we can expect to hit the milk drinks sector?

Focus On BSM

2015 should have been a great year for BSM. With sugar the public health villain and fat back in fashion, everyone has been allowed to fall back in love with butter again. Instead, many parts of the sector continue to struggle with only spreadable butter offering a glimpse of hope. How are suppliers looking to change this, what role can innovation such as cooking products/sprays play in reinvigorating the sector, and what impact is new investment in own-label butter having on the sector?

Focus On Yoghurts

With sugar and sweeteners under growing scrutiny, we look at at what the future holds for the low-fat yoghurt. What are suppliers doing to ensure their yoghurts remain relevant in light of new consumer trends, and what role can new technology play in delivering low-fat yoghurts without the need for added sugar and sweeteners? Will feature a box-out on natural/Greek-style yoghurts.

Focus On Ice Cream

Some of the smaller suppliers are starting to make real inroads in the UK ice cream market – so who are the key emerging players, what are they doing differently from the established brands and what are the wider market trends?

Focus On Dairy alternatives

With dairy alternatives now an established part of the mainstream market and brands showing strong growth, the sector is becoming increasingly attractive for own label. What have been the key own-label launches over the past year, and what do brands need to do to ensure they retain a point of difference? Will feature a box-out on animal alternatives to cow’s milk such as goat and sheep milk.

The last word: views from the milk float

The Grocer gets the inside scoop on the industry from British milkmen

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