We are delighted to announce the completion of our new export ‘centre of excellence’ with increased cheese maturing and despatch storing space with on-site-packing facility.

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 increased demand for our flagship 18-month-old Ivy’s Reserve Vintage cheddar across the world. The site also has increased cheese despatch storage to allow consolidation of 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 our cheese making heritage with a museum area incorporating retired cheese making equipment from the past 200 years.

Supported by a £1.3 million food processing grant under the governments RDPE growth program, which provides funding for projects in England that create jobs and support growth in the rural economy, the 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, our Managing Director and third generation family member, 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 Reserve 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.” 

January 2021