Milk Link has had to scale back production of Country Life butters and spreads at its Lockerbie factory because of cream shortages.

Though throughput is beginning to return to normal, the dairy co-operative has been forced to ration its customers.

Milk Link owns the manufacturing and distribution rights for Country Life spreads in the wholesale and foodservice sectors.

"We've been struggling to source enough cream for the huge demand that we face," said commercial director Terry Ward.

"We're now trying to get back on to volume after keeping people short. Nobody's liked the situation, but they have been understanding."

New supplies of cream have now been secured, and production is expected to return to normal over the coming month, Ward said.

But he warned that the cream had been sourced at a much higher price, and Milk Link was now negotiating with customers to pass those increases on. "It shows that what's happening in the dairy industry is real," Ward added.

Dairy Crest, which makes Country Life products for the retail market, was quick to reassure buyers that its supplies were not seriously affected.

But independent retailer Mark Bamforth, with a 1,000 sq ft store in Lytham, Lancashire, said he had been unable to buy Country Life butter from Booker for several weeks.

"I've been in the retail trade for 30 years, and I've never seen anything like it," he said. "We've got Danish and New Zealand butters on the shelf, but we desperately need an English butter too. Country Life outsells them six-to-one in a normal week."

Booker was at pains to stress that the situation was beyond its control.

"We'll be hoping to find a suitable alternative for Country Life," said a spokeswoman. "The problem is at the production end - this is not a Booker issue."

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