Modern Slavery Prevention Statement for the financial year 2025 – 2026
Wyke Farms Ltd.’s Modern Slavery Statement reflects our commitment to actingethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and with respect to human rights. We have implemented systems and controls, to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking or labour exploitation anywhere in our company or in our supply chains and service providers. We endorse and adhere to the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code, and we are committed to all the legal requirements of The Modern Slavery Act 2015. This statement is supported by the Board of Directors, and the company as a whole. It is reviewed in every financial year (1st April to 31st March) and can be viewed from a link on the home page of our company website.
Wyke Farms Ltd manufactures cheese, butter and liquid dairy products at our site in Wyke Champflower, Bruton, which oversees operations of our Anaerobic DigesterPlant, and is also the location of our Head Office. Cheese is matured andstored on our own premises at Lambrook Cheese Stores. Our Wincanton site isalso used for storage, prior to packing and distribution. As well as owning 2local dairy farms, Wyke has contracts with other local farms and buys additional British milk and cream.
Wyke Farms Ltd has two Anti-Slavery Officers. We make appropriate checks on all employees and recruitment agencies to know who is working for, or on behalf ofus. We ensure that employees are entitled to work in the UK, have the suitable documentation, and that working hours and wages are agreed and fair. All sites (Bruton / Lambrook, and Wincanton) are members of SEDEX. We welcome and co-operate with ethical audits.
We have contracts with 130 dairy farms within the UK, the majority of which are based in the Southwest. The Milk Procurement Team is in close contact with allour supplying farms on a regular basis, including farm visits at least annually.
Every supplying farm adheres to the Red Tractor Dairy Assurance Scheme standards, which contains a specific requirement that, where labour providers are used tosupply temporary or permanent staff, a Gangmasters Licence must be held. Externalauditors visit each farm frequently to monitor conditions.
Wyke Farms understands the importance of having a comprehensive understanding of oursupply chains, and actively encourages transparency in them. Suppliers of goodsand services to Wyke Farms are requested to supply us with a copy of their anti-slavery policy and statement as applicable, along with any other ethicalpolicies they follow. A broad spectrum of suppliers and service providers are covered by ourchecks, with priority given to first tier suppliers. All our suppliers are expected to comply with the ETI Base Code.
We ensure that suppliers / service providers engage in open communication withWyke Farms regarding modern slavery and human exploitation prevention strategies within their own company and their supply chains. Such communicationis in place and is ongoing.
Supplier questionnaires are sent out, and it is a requirement that suppliers assesstheir business and supply chains and confirm that they comply with their legal obligations in relation to The Modern Slavery Act 2015. They are required to show their commitment to ensuring there is no slavery, forced labour, servitude, child labour or human trafficking taking place in their business, ortheir supply chains.
Wyke Farms Ltd. conducts risk assessments on new and existing suppliers. Our checks prioritise the suppliers which have the most impact on our business. Wyke Farms uses some agency staff. Recruitment agencies, milk, other ingredients and primary packaging suppliers are checked most frequently against success criteria. Any concerns or lack of information is reported to the Anti-Slavery Officers for further investigation. Findings are fed back to senior management through quarterly Management Review Meetings.
If a supplier is found to have slavery or human-trafficking in their business, or knowingly in their supply chain, the company will terminate the contract withthem.
To ensure a high level ofunderstanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in oursupply chains and our business, external training is available, some of whichis led by the Non – Governmental Organisation Stronger Together. We are also using the online training platform Atlas / iHASCO, which is available to all staff.
We encourage open and honest communication throughout our supply chains. We offer suppliers further information on issues surrounding modern slavery prevention, to support their own training, such as spotting the signs of modern slavery within their own business.
Maintain engagement withsuppliers and service providers’ ethicalcredentials, including compliance with the ETI Base Code.
Increase in-house online modernslavery training uptake to 90%.
Invest in further modernslavery training for key staff within the business, especially those workingwith our supply chain.
Other Wyke Farms policies andstatements that are relevant to this statement are available on request, and include:-
Modern slavery statements from previous financial years are archived for reference onour website, and we are proud to be improving our modern slavery prevention andethical considerations year on year.
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes Wyke Farms Ltd.’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the financialyear 2025- 2026. We review this statement in every financial year, and endeavour to assess the effectiveness of the impact of our approaches, to strengthen ourdue diligence.
Signed on behalf of the Board of Directors by: –
Name: R. W. Clothier
Signature:
Position: Managing Director
Date: 25th September 2026
Modern Slavery Statement Archive:
Modern Slavery Statement (2025-2026)
Modern Slavery Statement (2024-2025)
Modern Slavery Statement (2023-2024)
Modern Slavery Statement (2022-2023)
Modern Slavery Statement (2021-2022)
Modern Slavery Statement (2020-2021)
Modern Slavery Statement (2019-2020).
Modern Slavery Statement (2018-19)
At our farm in Wyke Champflower in Somerset, capital of English cheesemaking, we’ve been making our Cheddar cheese and farmhouse butter the same way for over 160 years.
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