Somerset, UK – 6^th June 2013 – Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, was the recipient of 15 awards and accolades at the Devon County Show and the Royal Bath & West Show, adding to its fast growing collection of awards.

Surpassing the number of awards won in previous years at the Bath & West Show, the Somerset based company received 9 accolades in total, with Gold in the following categories: Block Vintage Cheddar, Unsalted Creamery Butter and Salted Butter. Additionally it won The Black Diamond Challenge Trophy for its Vintage Cheddar and The Champion Butter in the Show Trophy for its Salted Butter.

In addition, Wyke Farms also received the following Silver and Bronze accolades in the following categories:

-       People’s Choice Cheese – Silver (for its Vintage Cheddar)

-       People’s Choice Cheese – Organic Vintage Cheddar – Bronze

-       Mature Red Leicester – Bronze

-       Salted Creamery Butter – Bronze

At the Devon County Show, Wyke Farms received 6 awards in total, with 1^st Prizes in the following categories: Finest Mature Cheddar Cheese and Farmhouse Salted Butter. In addition, Wyke Farms also received the following awards in the following categories:

-       Creamery Salted Butter – 2nd

-       Smoked Cheese – 2^nd (for its Oak Smoked Cheddar)

-       Vintage Cheddar Cheese – 3rd

-       Mild Cheddar Cheese made in 2012 – 4th

 This is the best start to the awards season in Wyke Farms history; achieving 15 awards from the first two shows in the season, Devon County & the Bath & West. Last year their awards total was 125 and the previous year, which was their 150^th anniversary year, they achieved their record breaking total of 153.

 ”Whilst milk outputs were low last year, it appears that the milk quality was better than ever and this year looks set to be one of those special vintage years for cheese’’ Richard Clothier said.

Wyke Farms has been producing its award-winning cheddar for over a century and has grown to become the largest family-owned cheese maker in Britain selling over 14,000 tonnes annually. The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand and have become the fastest growing cheddar brand at a rate of 10% every year for the past five years.

Wyke Farms have 150 years of family farming experience. Wyke Farms’ cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset.

From an original 3,000 plus, Wyke Farms is now one of less than 20 farmhouse cheese makers remaining in the West Country and the only independent dairy company within the top 10 cheddar brands in the UK.

The Wyke Farms products are available nationwide and can be found in Asda, Co-op, Makro, Sainsbury’s Tesco and Waitrose.

Somerset, UK 13th May 2013: – Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, today announce that their Salted and Unsalted Butter will now be available in the re-branded Wyke Farms’ new packaging.  The Butters are now in-line with the rest of Wyke Farms’ new pack designs, which were launched across its entire cheese product range in September last year.

As with the cheddar packaging, the butter pack designs give the Wyke Farms brand increased shelf impact with improved block branding, while retaining the company’s well know premium image and farmhouse feel. The new packaging features a redesigned logo and product descriptor within a large speech bubble. The pack also includes an image of a cow grazing a lush field with a milk urn in the foreground.

Wyke Farms used crowd sourcing to develop its new brand identity by engaging with its Facebook and Twitter communities during the design process. The company allowed the public to select their favourite from three shortlisted designs and committed to using the one chosen by them.

Wyke Farms has been producing its award-winning cheddar for over a century and has grown to become the largest family-owned cheese maker in Britain selling over 14,000 tonnes annually. The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand and have become the fastest growing cheddar brand at a rate of 10% every year for the past five years.

Wyke Farms have 150 years of family farming experience. Wyke Farms’ cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset.

The 200gram and 250gram Farmhouse Salted Butter will be available nationwide from May and the 250g Unsalted Butter from 1st June.

Somerset, UK – 30th April 2013 – Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron to its farm in Bruton, Somerset yesterday. Mr Cameron visited Wyke Farms’ renewable energy project, which has at its hub a new anaerobic digester (AD) plant. Through this project, Wyke Farms aims to become a 100 percent sustainable working farm, which sources all of its electricity and gas from both solar and biogas, generated from the farm and dairy waste. Wyke Farms’ goal is to be one of the first national food brands, which is self-sufficient in green energy.

Prime Minister David Cameron said “It’s great to see a family farming business like Wyke investing in such an innovative green energy scheme. Making use of their waste products in order to become 100 per cent self sufficient in green energy will make them more efficient and help the environment.”

David Cameron arrived at Wyke Farms, based near Bruton in Somerset, where he conducted a tour of Wyke Farms including its anaerobic digester (AD) plant. Wyke Farms’ AD plant will deliver significant environmental benefits, simultaneously reducing and managing waste as well as producing energy, enabling Wyke Farms to save over 4 million kilos of carbon dioxide per annum. The visit was led by Richard Clothier, third generation family member and managing director at Wyke Farms. David Cameron spent some time afterwards discussing green technologies and farming with the family team at Wyke Farms.

Richard Clothier said “We are delighted to have met with Prime Minister today and to show him around our new anaerobic digester (AD) plant. It was a pleasure to be able to demonstrate our commitment to more sustainable farming. We hope that our work can be a beacon project that other farm-based businesses can emulate.”

The anaerobic digester (AD) plant will use Wyke Farms’ biodegradable waste materials as fuel. The digestate produced will be used as a fertilizer and the biogas energy generated will be used to run a combined heat and power plant. Wyke Farms’ has a desire to operate its business in a way that has minimal impact on the Somerset environment and create a truly symbiotic relationship with the countryside that provides their food and income.

Wyke Farms has been shortlisted for a BusinessGreen Leaders Award in the Company of the Year category for its renewable energy project, alongside Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s. The BusinessGreen Leaders Awards celebrate the leading businesses and individuals from across the green economy, highlighting how these pioneers are blazing a path for others to follow.

Wyke Farms has been producing its award-winning cheddar for over a century and has grown to become the largest family-owned cheese maker in Britain selling over 14,000 tonnes annually. The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand and have become the fastest growing cheddar brand at a rate of 10% every year for the past five years.

Wyke Farms have 150 years of family farming experience. Wyke Farms’ cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset.

The Wyke Farms products are available nationwide and can be found in Asda, Co-op, Makro, Sainsbury’s Tesco and Waitrose.

Somerset, UK – 30th April 2013 – Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, has been shortlisted for a BusinessGreen Leaders Award in the Company of the Year category. The other shortlisted companies are Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s. Wyke Farms has been recognised for its renewable energy project, which aims to create a sustainable working farm, one in which it sources all of its electricity and gas from both solar and biogas, generated from the farm and dairy waste.

Wyke Farms has made a commitment to be one of the first national food brands to be self-sufficient in green energy. The company has a desire to operate its business in a way that has minimal impact on the Somerset environment and create a truly symbiotic relationship with the countryside that provides their food and income.

As part of this goal, they have started to build their own anaerobic digester (AD) plant, which will deliver significant environmental benefits. It will simultaneously reduce and manage waste and produce energy. Wyke Farms’ biodegradable waste materials will be used as fuel for the AD plant. The digestate produced will be used as a fertilizer and the biogas energy generated will be used to run a combined heat and power plant, enabling Wyke Farms to save over 4 million kilos of carbon dioxide per annum.

The BusinessGreen Leaders Awards celebrate the leading businesses and individuals from across the green economy, highlighting how these pioneers are blazing a path for others to follow. Success at the BusinessGreen Leaders Awards represents one of the most coveted accolades available for companies operating in the fast expanding green economy. The Company of the Year award will go to the business that has done the most to advance the green economy over the past 12 months and is genuinely committed to developing new and more sustainable ways of doing business.

Wyke Farms has been producing its award-winning cheddar for over a century and has grown to become the largest family-owned cheese maker in Britain selling over 14,000 tonnes annually. The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand and have become the fastest growing cheddar brand at a rate of 10% every year for the past five years.

Wyke Farms have 150 years of family farming experience. Wyke Farms’ cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset.

The Wyke Farms products are available nationwide and can be found in Asda, Co-op, Makro, Sainsbury’s Tesco and Waitrose.

Somerset, UK 15th April 2013: – Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, have started their biggest summer sampling tour yet; set to reach 5 million consumers.  The Somerset based company has seen a 10% uplift in sales since the ‘horse-meat scandal’ and plan to maximize on their unique history and farm to fork story with the public by sharing it as wide as possible.

Visiting 39 National consumer events over a 7-month period, the Wyke Farms tour trailer cannot be missed with their iconic 2.5 metre inflatable cow flying from the roof. The general public will be invited into the Wyke Farms trailer to taste the award winning cheddar in a traditional farmhouse kitchen layout. Wyke Farms’ extensive and unique heritage has been displayed with original family and farming photos, awards and video footage (including the video of the infamous Wyke Farms dancing cows!) on board the 8 metres squared trailer.

To further reinforce Wyke Farms position as a provenance brand the company will be focusing their Press Campaigns for the remainder of the year on their unique Somerset history and farm to fork story.

For the first time, Wyke Farms are working in partnership with rye-based crispbread brand Ryvita® throughout the sampling tour. Both brands will offer consumers the opportunity to sample Wyke Farms cheddar partnered with Ryvita’s crackers.

Wyke Farms are sampling their farmhouse cheddar at The BBC Good Food Show, The Royal Bath & West Show, The Royal Cornwall Show, The Grand Designs Show and The Foodies Festival among others. Product sampling includes Wyke Farms Simply Gorgeous Vintage Cheddar, Just Delicious Extra Mature Cheddar, Rich and Creamy Mature Cheddar, and also Superlight Half Fat Cheddar.

Wyke Farms has been producing its award-winning cheddar for over a century and has grown to become the largest family-owned cheese maker in Britain selling over 14,000 tonnes annually. The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand and have become the fastest growing cheddar brand at a rate of 10% every year for the past five years.

Wyke Farms have 150 years of family farming experience. Wyke Farms’ cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset.

The Wyke Farms products are available nationwide and can be found in Asda, Co-op, Makro,  Sainsbury’s Tesco and Waitrose.

Wyke Farms’ “Cheaster Egg” is filled with 65 blocks of Wyke Farms’ award-winning cheddar. The competition ran on Wyke Farms’ Facebook page and was open to any school, college or workplace.

Wyke Farms has been producing its award-winning cheddar for over a century and has grown to become the largest family-owned cheese maker in Britain selling over 14,000 tonnes annually. The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand and have become the fastest growing cheddar brand at a rate of 10% every year for the past five years.

Wyke Farms have 150 years of family farming experience. Wyke Farms’ cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset.

The Wyke Farms products are available nationwide and can be found in Asda, Co-op, Makro,  Sainsbury’s Tesco and Waitrose.

Somerset, UK – 21st March 2013 – Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, won a Bronze award in the category of Best Re-brand in the UK at The Transform Awards on Tuesday night, beating Caffrey’s Irish Ale to the post. Wyke Farms was recognised for its latest rebranding project, which used crowd sourcing to develop its new brand identity. The Transform Awards are the industry benchmark for rebranding, repositioning and brand transformation.

In a ground-breaking campaign, and a first for a UK-based food company, Wyke Farms allowed the general public to choose its new pack designs, inviting its Facebook community to vote on which pack design they should use from a shortlist of three. The final designs give the brand increased shelf impact, while retaining the company’s well-known premium image and farmhouse feel. Wyke Farms used the winning design throughout all brand collateral including packaging, a new website, sampling stands and marketing material.

Wyke Farms worked with design agency Tynan D’arcy to produce the new pack designs, which can be found in Asda, Co-op, Makro, Sainsbury’s Tesco and Waitrose.

The Transform Awards programme was established by Communicate magazine. The entries were judged by a panel of experienced in-house practitioners, designers and journalists in order to celebrate best practice in rebranding. The Transform Awards has recognised the best in European rebranding since 2010 and this year’s ceremony honoured entries from around the world.

Wyke Farms has been producing its award-winning cheddar for over a century and has grown to become the largest family-owned cheese maker in Britain selling over 14,000 tonnes annually. The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand and have become the fastest growing cheddar brand at a rate of 10% every year for the past five years.

Wyke Farms have 150 years of family farming experience. Wyke Farms’ cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset.

The Wyke Farms products are available nationwide and can be found in Asda, Co-op, Makro,  Sainsbury’s Tesco and Waitrose.

Somerset: 18^th February 2013 – Help for Heroes (H4H), the UK charity which provides direct, practical support to those who suffered life changing injuries and illnesses while serving our country, today announces a working relationship with Wyke Farms Ltd, who are launching the first dairy product with H4H branding. The two ‘Help for Heroes’ endorsed products are as follows: ‘Salted Butter for Heroes’ and ‘Mature Cheddar for Heroes’. A minimum of 3 pence from each pack of butter and 7 pence from a pack of cheese will be contributed to Help for Heroes Trading Limited which Gift Aids all its taxable profits to Help for Heroes (Registered Charity Number 1120920).

Help for Heroes already endorses a number of successful products in the Grocery sector including Eggs and Whisky. Help for Heroes is one of Britain’s most admired charities and is keen to offer an easy way for the public to show their support for the charity. Lizzie Neyland, Head of Corporate Relationships at Help for Heroes says “We are delighted that Wyke Farms has launched these two quality dairy products to support Help for Heroes, enabling us to provide lifelong support to Servicemen, women and veterans as they recover from injury and illness.  We have been looking at how great quality dairy products can support Help for Heroes for some time now and the opportunity to raise funds through the sale of products in this category will make a real difference to the charity.”

Help for Heroes is working with Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, to create the two products. Wyke Farms is a family-run business with 150 years of family farming experience producing cheese and butter and prides itself on its award-winning cheddar, which is enjoyed by more and more customers every year.

Wyke Farms and Help for Heroes have chosen iconic black packaging carrying the image of the stretcher-bearers embedded in cheese and butter. ‘We have tried to use key butter and cheese usage occasion as the hero of the pack as it’s not about branding, it’s about ‘Help For Heroes’, encouraging people to spare a thought for those who have made personal sacrifices, and raising money for this fine charity at the same time.’ said Rich Clothier.

Instead of advertising the brand, marketing costs saved will go to Help for Heroes, ‘in this way we will be able to offer a competitive price to the shopper whilst still delivering a sustainable price to our own farms, farmer milk suppliers and dairy. This sustainable model, is key to the long term success of these products.’ Continued Rich.

Wyke Farms’ cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset. It has been producing its award-winning cheddar for over a century and has grown to become one of the largest family-owned food brands in Britain valued at over £70 million at retail (Kantar data). The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand.

Somerset: 18^th December 2012 – Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, are selling 2012 survival cheddar in response to demand from people making survival kits to see them through the end of the world this Friday.

The cheddar is sold in a robust vacuum pack, which should keep for at least a year in a survival bunker. Richard Clothier, Managing Director, said: “it’s logical really, cheese was originally made as a way to preserve milk and one of these blocks contains the solids from 25 litres of fresh milk”.

The company says that the cheese just gets better with age so keeping it should be no problem and are suggesting that it would be ideal to accompany tinned food like beans. The company plans to issue blocks of cheese to co-workers on Thursday just in case they are needed.

Richard Clothier said “we are making no other preparations other than to watch the cows, if they head for the high ground, we’ll follow them. They are very intuitive about these things”

Wyke Farms ran an online poll this week asking how people are planning to spend their final hours. Sharing some cheese and wine with the family was voted as the most popular choice, above partying with friends and bedroom activity with partners!

Wyke Farms has been producing its award-winning cheddar for over 150 years and has grown to become one of the largest family-owned food brands in Britain valued at over £70 million at retail (Kantar data). The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand.

Wyke Farms have 150 years of family farming experience, their cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset.

The Wyke Farms products are available nationwide and can be found in Asda, Co-op, Makro, Sainsbury’s Tesco and Waitrose.

Somerset: 4th December 2012 – Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, have been awarded three awards at this years World Cheese Awards:

- Super Gold for the Wyke Farms ‘Just Delicious’ Extra Mature Cheddar

- Gold for the Wyke Farms Red Leicester

- Silver for the Wyke Farms ‘Simply Gorgeous’ Vintage Cheddar

The Super Gold award means that Wyke Farms have made it onto the ‘The World’s 55 Best Cheeses’ list and was one of only two Super Gold awards to cheddar this year.

“Our family have been perfecting our cheddar for over 150 years, so to receive recognition in the form of world class status is wonderful for everyone here” says Rich Clothier, Managing Director and third generation family member at Wyke Farms.
Wyke Farms has been producing its award-winning cheddar for over 150 years and has grown to become one of the largest family-owned food brands in Britain valued at over £70 million at retail (Kantar data). The company have achieved substantial growth year on year by staying true to the traditional values behind the brand.

Wyke Farms have 150 years of family farming experience, their cheese and butter is made with the milk from their cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset.

The Wyke Farms products are available nationwide and can be found in Asda, Co-op, Makro, Sainsbury’s Tesco and Waitrose.