Chobani yoghurt venture to create up to 300 new jobs

Chobani, the third most successful yoghurt company in the US will launch in Britain this week, potentially creating up to 300 jobs.

The company, founded seven years ago by Hamdi Ulukaya, a US-based Turk, after taking control of a small feta cheese company from Kraft Foods Group, will launch their Greek style yoghurt concept to UK consumers .

The launch will see Chobani yoghurts sold in 200 Tesco stores initially and will be the springboard to a yoghurt manufacturing project in Britain that could create up to 300 jobs.

Mr Ulukaya launched Chobani after recruiting five former Kraft employees and spent 18 months researching the Greek yoghurt market.

The company has now grown to 1,200 employees and Chobani, named after the Turkish for shepherd, is said to have an 18 per cent share of America’s lucrative $6.5bn-a-year (£4.09bn) yoghurt market.

Mr Ulukaya, 40, also plans to open a Greek yoghurt flagship shop in London creating more job opportunities while at the same time familiarizing his brand with the UK market.

Mr Ulukaya said:

“There’s not the excitement in the market that there should be. I don’t think there’s good quality Greek yoghurt in the UK.

“What Chobani does is increase consumption levels and bring more people to the category and I think we can do that in the UK.”