CBI: 50 YEARS OF BUSINESS INNOVATION | UK SPOTLIGHT


THE WELL-MATURED APPROACH TO FRESH IDEAS WYKE FARMS www.wykefarms.com


There was once a time when there were more than 3,000 farmhouse cheesemakers in the West Country, but now Wyke Farms is one of fewer than ten that remain. Today it is Britain’s largest independent cheesemaker, selling more than 14,000 tonnes of cheddar per year in the UK alone, and to over 150 countries around the globe. “Our family has been making cheddar on our


farm in Somerset since 1861,” says Rich Clothier, Managing Director and third generation family member of Wyke Farms. “We are proud of our heritage and tradition and the fact that it still influences new recipe development today.” This success is down to its commitment to


produce quality cheddar where flavour, texture and taste are paramount. It is about integrating its rich heritage of family values and tradition, including a 150-year-old recipe. And it’s also about Wyke Farms’ commitment to the environment.


A GREEN PIONEER Wyke Farms has recently made a name for itself as a green pioneer, with 14 national and international awards and accolades under its belt in the last year alone. “We believe in working in synergy with our


surroundings and in operating our business in a way that has minimal impact on the Somerset environment,” says Clothier. “We have created an integrated, long-term sustainability plan, which we call Wyke Farms 100% Green.” At the hub of Wyke Farms’ ongoing green


initiative is an on-site biogas plant, a £4 million investment that has transformed the business. The impressive anaerobic digester, which took five years to plan and construct, converts 75,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste materials from the farm and dairy per year into energy. “That energy is used to power the dairy and cheesemaking process,” says Clothier. “It saves more than 5 million kilos of carbon dioxide per annum and renders Wyke Farms 100 per cent sustainable in green energy. This initiative is also backed up by changes in work practices, like reusing our wastewater, installing solar panelling, making use of electric delivery vehicles and reducing our packaging waste.” Wyke Farms’ achievements in this field have not gone unnoticed by government.


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