When David Kellett founded David Kellett and Partners in 1993, membrane filtration in the UK dairy industry was still an emerging industry. The business was built around deep technical expertise in this specialist field, offering turnkey membrane solutions at a time when there were few suppliers even in the industry.

However, while membranes became the foundation of the company’s early reputation, the scope of work was never limited to a single technology. The business has always focused on solving real processing problems — whether that involved membrane systems, existing process upgrades, or the supply and integration of associated plant into the wider dairy process.

More than membranes: a full engineering service

Although the company is widely recognised for its expertise in membrane filtration, its capabilities extend significantly further.

Today, David Kellett and Partners also provides a complete service covering:

• Design and supply of process equipment to suit the customers scope ranging from an individual part to a complete process route.
• Dairy processing equipment such as clarifiers, separators, pasteurisers, inline filtration, product storage, product intake and product despatch.
• CIP equipment ranging from existing route modifications to complete CIP centres.
• Bespoke cheese manufacturing equipment to comply with complex customer requirements. Most recently, draining conveyors, salting conveyors and cheddaring towers.
• Automation upgrades of existing plant to update obsolete and outdated equipment.
• Supply of all process related spare parts and service kits, as well as complete pump overhaul services. 

This broader offering has often been less visible than the company’s membrane work, but it is central to how the business operates. Within any process, many elements contribute to ensuring that equipment performs as intended once it is installed in real production conditions. The broad range of services offered allow David Kellett and Partners to deliver that goal.

Practical solutions in real factory environments

Over more than 30 years, one of the defining strengths of the business has been its ability to bridge the gap between design intent and operational reality.

In dairy processing environments, success is rarely about equipment alone. Feed variability, plant integration, hygiene constraints and production schedules all influence outcomes. This is where the combination of design knowledge, equipment supply, installation experience and commissioning expertise becomes critical.

Rather than advising in isolation, the business has always taken a hands-on role in ensuring systems are not only correctly specified, but also correctly installed, commissioned and performing in situ to give the most reliable performance.

A changing industry — and broader client needs

As the dairy industry has evolved, so too have client expectations. Where early conversations were often focused on solving isolated technical issues, today’s projects are more integrated, combining efficiency improvements, energy reduction, serviceability, functionality and straightforward operation. This shift has reinforced the importance of offering a broader service to be able to deliver all of those requirements.

Membrane systems remain a core part of the business, particularly as whey processing and value recovery have become central to modern dairy operations. However, they sit within a wider portfolio of process engineering solutions rather than defining the entire business. 

Transitioning into the next chapter

The business is currently entering a planned transition, with a management buyout underway that will see one of the existing team become Managing Director.

Rather than a sudden change, this is being approached as a gradual and carefully considered evolution — ensuring continuity of technical expertise, client relationships, and the practical, hands-on approach that has defined the company since its founding.

Succession has been a long-term consideration, and the focus now is on ensuring that knowledge and experience are transferred in a way that strengthens the business for the future, rather than disrupts it.

A key priority throughout this process is maintaining the same principles that clients have always relied on: trustedindependent advice, practical engineering judgement, and a commitment to delivering solutions that work in real-world dairy processing environments.

Next month, we’ll sit down with our new Managing Director to discuss their vision for the organisation, and the priorities shaping its next chapter.