Further Expansion by Wyke Farms
Wyke Farms, which is one of the UK’s largest independent cheese producers and milk processors, producing over 13,000 tonnes of cheddar per year, has completed its new export ‘centre of excellence’ based in Wincanton, Somerset. The centre includes a significant increase in cheese maturing capacity with an additional 2500 tonnes of cheddar stocks being aged on site to support the increase demand for the company’s flagship 18-month-old Ivy’s Vintage cheddar across the world.
The site also has increased cheese despatch storage to allow the company to consolidate cheese container orders prior to export in a post-Brexit world, as well as and a long-life packing line for cheese exports. There is also a respectful nod to the company’s heritage with a cheese making museum incorporating retired cheese making equipment from the past 200 years.
Wyke Farms was supported by a £1.3 million food processing grant under the government’s RDPE growth program, which provides funding for projects in England that create jobs and support growth in the rural economy. This energy efficient facility also includes a new chilled dispatch store that allows central distribution for larger customers and consolidation of complex multi-product export orders, saving secondary storage and road miles in the UK and overseas.
Built to the highest environmental standards, including solar, heat recovery and air sourced heat pumps, the expansion accommodates an additional high-speed cutting and packing line for increased volume and longer life cheese packs for overseas export markets.
Rich Clothier, Managing Director and third generation family member at Wyke Farms, says: “This investment, supported by the RDPE growth program is vital in preparing our business to service our growing export markets across the world. Built to the highest environmental standards this export hub will allow us to continue to export more of my grandmothers Ivy’s Vintage cheddar to over 160 countries in a post Brexit world, in the most environmentally responsible way helping to secure jobs and livelihoods of people in Somerset, the heart of Cheddar.”
Wyke Farms’ continual investment and commitment to green energy forms part of the companies ‘100% Green’ sustainability plan, through which, it has dramatically reduced ts carbon footprint and become the first national cheddar brand to be 100% self-sufficient using the company’s own energy generated from solar and biogas. This latest development is all part of Wyke Farms’ journey to become a net positive cheese business.
