Ice Cream Recipe Operative

Dale Farm; Kilrea; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Bank holidays

Contributory company pension

Life Assurance

Wellbeing support (Employee Assistance

Enhanced Maternity Leave

Enhanced Paternity Leave

Job summary

Dale Farm invites applications for an Ice Cream Recipe Operative at Mullin's Ice Cream Factory in Kilrea, Northern Ireland. You will be central to our production team, handling batch operations, machine setup, quality checks and final cleaning to maintain optimum efficiency and product quality.

Successful candidates will have a good general level of education, a strong work ethic, reliability and the ability to work flexible shifts.

Qualifications

• Good general level of education.
• Good work ethic.
• Reliable and cooperative to work flexible shift patterns.

Responsibilities

• As a batch operative, you will be a central part of a focused and energetic team striving to achieve optimum levels of machine efficiency and product quality.
• The job covers all aspects of the production process from machine set-up, machine operation, batch measurement, temperature monitoring, completion of all quality and processing checks, through to final cleaning.

Job description

Closing Date : 11 November 2026 05:00 pm

Dale Farm Cooperative is a UK dairy farmer co-operative owned by over 1200 dairy farmers who supply us with fresh milk. Dale Farm has operations throughout the UK and Ireland producing and distributing a wide range of dairy products which it sells across the UK and Ireland as well as exporting to over 45 countries worldwide.

At Dale Farm virtually every career discipline is represented in our workforce, from production, engineering and distribution, to sales & marketing and food technology/quality assurance, to Finance, HR and IT through to general management. Our standards are high and when we recruit we are looking for those with energy and drive, who are keen for responsibility and motivated to succeed with a record of achievement and with the potential to develop as the company grows.

Culture

Our culture is based on setting best in class standards, working to-wards and delivering on committed objectives, striving for constant improvement and involving everyone in the company. We strive to develop our people and harness everyone's contribution to deliver a winning team.

The company is an Equal Opportunities employer and is committed to a safe, inclusive and relationship based workspace.

In return, we offer a high degree of responsibility, plenty of challenge, good opportunities for learning and personal development and rewarding benefit packages, all within a fast moving and results oriented environment.

Ice Cream Recipe Operative

Dale Farm is the largest UK farmer-owned cooperative, owned by 1,300 UK farmers. We supply a wide range of consumer and food ingredients dairy products including fresh milk, cheeses, milk powders, butter & dairy spreads, and ice cream into the UK, Irish and international markets.

Core to our success is our people, and we now have an exciting opportunity within Mullin's Ice Cream, based at Mullin's Ice Cream Factory in Kilrea.

Ice Cream Recipe Operative

As a batch operative, you will be a central part of a focused and energetic team striving to achieve optimum levels of machine efficiency and product quality. The job covers all aspects of the production process from machine set-up, machine operation, batch measurement, temperature monitoring, completion of all quality and processing checks, through to final cleaning.

These are important roles within the production operation and we are looking for candidates who are keen for responsibility, who wish to develop their skills, contribute to a winning team and be proactive to deliver improvement initiatives.

Successful candidates will have a good general level of education and possess a good work ethic, as well as being reliable and co - operative to work flexible shift patterns. Knowledge and experience of factory/food production environments would be advantageous but is not essential.

In return the company offers plenty of challenge, attractive shift patterns, a good working environment and a competitive benefit package.

Why Dale Farm?

We have a lot to offer our employees at Dale Farm and we are committed to everyone's learning and development journey. In addition to a competitive salary commensurate with the role, as well as standard benefits such as 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and contributory company pension, we also offer additional benefits such as Life Assurance, full wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme, and enhanced Maternity and Paternity leave.

We promote an open and supportive culture which is based on our core values

Teamwork | Positivity | Resolve | Ambition | Curiosity | Accountability

You can find out more about life at Dale Farm on our LinkedIn and Facebook Career pages, and on our company website.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on 11th November2026.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer

Only applications from EU Nationals or those with a valid permit to work in the UK will be accepted