Food & Drink

Iceland's largest skyr producer moves into the UK market

By Staff |Feb 5 2016

More skyr for everyone! Skyr from the Icelandic dairy company MS Iceland Dairies (Mjólkursamsalan) will be available in 200 selected Waitrose stores as of Monday. Photo/MS

Skyr from the Icelandic dairy company MS Iceland Dairies (Mjólkursamsalan) will be available in 200 selected Waitrose stores as of Monday, 8 February. British consumers have a choice between three flavours: natural skyr, blueberry, and vanilla. Scandinavian dairy company Arla was the first to begin to sell Icelandic-style skyr in the UK in 2015.

Skyr is a traditional, Icelandic dairy product and while resembling yogurt it is, correctly speaking, a cheese. The product is made from skim milk which remains after the cream has been removed. The milk is then warmed with live cultures from previous batches of skyr and strained from the whey after it has thickened.

Traditionally skyr was served with cream and brown sugar, but nowadays it is increasingly used as a key ingredient for cheese-cakes, crème brulée (called skyr brulée) and smoothies.

According to Morgunblaðið, MS sold around 100 million units of skyr in 2015. The product is also sold in Switzerland and Scandinavia.