Case Study: Dairy Crest achieves cost-effective early smoke detection and cold-storage protection with Xtralis VESDA

VESDA is the cost-effective alternative for Dairy Crest’s Cold Storage and White-Tile Manufacturing Facilities

Dairy Crest Group, the UK’s largest dairy food company, needed reliable early-warning smoke detection for cold storage and white‑tile manufacturing areas where even low levels of smoke or heat could spoil stock and disrupt refrigeration, causing major revenue loss. Insurers had specified expensive fire-protection equipment, so Dairy Crest sought a cost-effective solution that still met risk and compliance requirements.

Consultants EC Harris proposed aspirating VESDA very early warning smoke detection (VLC/VLP), which insurers accepted. VESDA systems—installed with detectors outside freezing zones and only sample pipes exposed to sub-zero conditions—deliver dependable earliest-warning detection, easy external maintenance, and adaptability to different factory atmospheres; the program is being rolled out across 16 prioritized Dairy Crest sites.

Dairy Crest

James Blair

Risk and Compliance Manager