{"url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-20/golden-north-murray-bridge-ice-cream-plant","markdown_url":"https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-20/golden-north-murray-bridge-ice-cream-plant.md","title":"Golden North Ice Cream Starts Murray Bridge Plant","headline":"Golden North Ice Cream Begins Production at Murray Bridge Plant, Adding About 20 Jobs","description":"Golden North Ice Cream has started production at its new Murray Bridge plant, adding about 20 jobs and planning a move into cheese.","section":"Expansion","published_at":"2026-10-20T20:01:50+00:00","modified_at":"2026-10-20T20:01:50+00:00","author":"News Desk","key_takeaways":["Golden North Ice Cream began production at its new Murray Bridge plant after buying the former Beston Global Food Company site.","The new factory will need about 20 more people than the Laura plant, taking overall employment to about 100.","Golden North will source milk from another company for the first year before signing direct contracts with farmers."],"companies":[{"name":"Golden North Ice Cream","is_primary":true,"profile_url":null,"website":"https://www.goldennorth.com.au"}],"source":{"publisher":"ABC","title":"Golden North's ice cream factory starts churning at Murray Bridge","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-21/new-golden-north-factory-ice-cream-now-at-murray-bridge/107289376"},"other_sources":[],"tags":["Expansion","Golden North Ice Cream"],"body_markdown":"Golden North Ice Cream has begun production at its new processing plant in Murray Bridge, South Australia, after buying the former Beston Global Food Company site. The [ABC](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-21/new-golden-north-factory-ice-cream-now-at-murray-bridge/107289376) reported that the South Australian company bought the plant after administrators failed to find a buyer when it was liquidated in 2025. The move ends Golden North's 103 years in the Mid North town of Laura.\n\n## Golden North's Murray Bridge Production Begins\n\nManaging director and co-owner Dimi Kyriazis said the move would bring the company closer to SA's central milk-producing region. It would also allow Golden North to increase its ice cream production and expand into other products such as cheese. \"We're kicking things off with ice cream,\" Mr Kyriazis said. \"Ice cream is the most important thing; that's what's going to pay the bills in the beginning of this story of Golden North here in Murray Bridge.\"\n\nMr Kyriazis said the ice cream would be produced using the same recipe and equipment brought over from the plant in Laura, but it could be frozen much quicker in Murray Bridge. Golden North will source milk from another company for the first year, with Mr Kyriazis saying he wanted to gauge its needs before signing direct contracts with farmers. Only about one-third of what Golden North made stayed in SA and the rest was sold interstate and overseas.\n\nWith the larger facility, Mr Kyriazis said he hoped to expand the products and amount they produced. \"There are opportunities everywhere … we just could never take advantage of them before. Murray Bridge allows us to do it,\" he said.\n\nGolden North gave priority to Laura workers to move to Murray Bridge, but only three staff took the opportunity. The new factory will need about 20 more people than the Laura plant, taking overall employment to about 100. Former Beston staff are among those employed by Golden North, including head of operations Paul Connelly.\n\nMr Connelly said the recipes stay with the factory. \"The recipes stay with the factory. They don't usually get sold off to someone else,\" he said. \"Sometimes they do get sold with the brand, but all the recipes here are from probably 20 or 30 years ago, even more.\"\n\nGolden North was Laura's largest employer and will leave a big hole in the town even with $1 million in government assistance to support it during the company's transition. Mr Connelly said the move would boost Murray Bridge. \"As I walk around the community, people are always asking me, 'How's Golden North going? How's the project going?'\" he said. \"So, there is a level of engagement and excitement that I can feel as I'm walking around the town.\"\n\n## What Comes Next for Golden North\n\nGolden North plans to expand into cheese production at the Murray Bridge site, with Mr Kyriazis saying cheese will be equally as important in time. The company will source milk from another company for the first year before signing direct contracts with farmers.\n","publisher":{"name":"News for Agent","url":"https://newsforagent.com"}}