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BIG INTERVIEW By Ged Henderson
Date: 28 April 2026 Time: 08.30-11.00
Venue: Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa
Join decision-makers implementing AI and automation, and those considering their next steps.
Hear from business leaders and specialist practitioners on what is working, what is challenging, and how organisations are adopting new technologies while managing risk.
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Brought to you by: THE GRATE COMEBACK
The Hall family’s battle to salvage their business from the inferno that had engulfed it began even as firefighters continued to dampen down the wreckage.
A devastating fire at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses’ Longridge office and packing operation in November 2023 saw it razed to the ground and hundreds of tonnes of stock destroyed, just six weeks before Christmas.
The impact of the blaze cannot be underestimated. Matthew Hall, fourth- generation owner, says: “It was a devastating blow. We lost the entire operation overnight.”
Though stunned by the size of the disaster – it took 60 firefighters to bring the flames under control – there was little time to reflect on what had happened.
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Within hours the business was back turning milk to cheese, buoyed by the support of
the local business community, coupled with the determination of the family and the dedication of its workforce.
The rebuild has continued – literally – with a £15m investment to create a ‘cheese campus’ at its Inglewhite site, which will nurture its products from beginning to end on the farm. It is a story of resilience and farming grit.
The new campus has been specifically designed to pair modern technologies with traditional farmhouse cheesemaking techniques, protecting Butlers’ craft while supporting long-term sustainability and growth.
The result is one of the most advanced farmhouse cheesemaking operations of its kind in the UK. It will also unlock opportunities for skills development, training and careers across cheesemaking,
operations and specialist roles such as data science and AI.
The investment received a royal seal of approval in February, two years after the fire, with a visit from King Charles to officially open the new dairy site.
The monarch was impressed, not just by the taste of the cheese, hailing Butlers, which has been hand crafting farmhouse cheese since 1932, as “an exceptional family business”.
The visit was recognition of this latest chapter in a recovery plan that continues to gain momentum. Matthew describes the new campus as “a generational investment” for the long-term.
He adds: “The decision we took to rebuild was built on the business being here in 100 years’ time.
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