Gold Wins for Wyke Farms at British Cheese Awards and Chairman John Recognised with Family Business Lifetime Achievement Award

Bruton, Somerset 11th October 2022: Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and producer of renewable energy, today announce several gold wins at this year’s British Cheese Awards. The accolades have come just days after John Clothier was named as winner of the Family Business Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Somerset based company have been awarded ‘Gold’ status in block cheddar categories for Mature, Extra Mature and Vintage cheddars. In addition, Wyke Farms were awarded ‘Gold’ in the prestigious ‘Dupont Danisco Grand Prix’ which aims to identify a consistent producer of the finest quality mature cheddar cheese and ‘Gold’ in the ‘Red Leicester’ category. The company also won ‘Gold’ in both the ‘Unsalted’ and ‘Salted Farmhouse Butter’ categories.

Rich Clothier, Managing Director and 3rd generation cheesemaker at Wyke Farms, says: “Recognition like this reminds us to our keep standards high so we can keep doing what we love. Our cheddar has won more awards than any other, but the British Cheese Awards feels very special being held so locally to Wyke at the Bath & West Showground.”

The awards come just days after Chairman John was announced as the winner of The Family Business Lifetime Achievement Award. John built the foundations of the company we see today; he evolved his mother’s kitchen -run Somerset operation into an international offering while staying loyal to the family’s methods of working with each other and with nature. John worked closely with his sons and nephews to grow each area of the business and stepped into the role of Chairman to allow his sons full control of the business just a few years ago. Now, at 78 he still offers guidance from his Senior Director role.

Family Business United’s MD Paul Andrews says: “It’s an absolute honour to present John with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Family businesses would not exist if it were not for the underlying involvement of families and individuals within these businesses and John has been a great leader and remains an incredible ambassador for Wyke Farms today.  His pride and passion for the business, and more widely the industry as a whole shone through and it is great to recognise someone that has done so much.”

“John is an exceptional individual whose way of life reflects his unwavering commitment to his family, the family business and the local community having a positive life changing impact on so many people.  An independent thinker with original ideas and a passion to succeed in all that he does and a worthy winner.”

Wyke Farms’ cheese and butter is made with the milk from cows grazing the lush pastures of the Mendip Hills in the centre of the Cheddar making region in Somerset. Ivy’s Reserve Cheddar is available in Tesco stores nationwide and Wyke Farms products are available in selected Lidl stores and in Southwest UK ASDA and Tesco stores. All products are available online at: www.wykefarms.com/shop

For more information, interview and images, please contact: jodie@connectedpr.com

Notes to Editor:

Wyke Farms Ltd is a family run company based in the heart of the Somerset cheddar-making region.  The art of traditional cheese making will never be lost on the Somerset farm where the Clothier family have been making cheddar since 1861. Today, Wyke Farms is one of the largest independent cheese makers and milk processors in the UK producing over 18,000 tonnes of cheddar per year to the same award winning 160-year-old recipe.

Wyke Farms Cheddar is sold throughout the UK and to 160 countries around the world, with retail sales of over £100 million. Wyke Farms is a progressive cheesemaking business that remains true to its roots. The enterprise was established by Ivy and Tom Clothier using the family cheese making recipe and today, their grandsons Richard and Tom now run the cheese making operations with their father John, whilst her other two grandsons David and Roger run the family dairy farming operations. The four grandchildren share Ivy’s passion for cheese making where flavour, texture and taste are paramount.  They believe that this attention to detail is the reason that their cheese has won more awards at national cheese shows than any other.  

Wyke Farms are committed to sustainable farming and are proud to be the UK’s first national cheddar brand to become 100% self-sufficient in green energy.  Wyke Farms source all its electricity and gas from both solar and biogas, generated from the farm and dairy waste. The biogas energy is generated from its own anaerobic digester (AD) plant, which saves Wyke Farms over 20 million kilos of carbon dioxide per annum. The company are now Europe’s most sustainable business.

They have received national and international recognition for their on-going commitment to sustainability, and have won numerous awards including:

• International Ambassador – Insider’s South West International Trade Awards
• Green Innovation and Finance Awards 2017 – Winner – Business Leader of the Year
• European Business Awards – Environment & Corporate Sustainability Category – European Champions 2015/2016
• The Renewable Energy Association Winner – Sustainability Category
• Insider “Made in the UK” Awards
• Winner of the Grocer Gold Awards – Green Initiative of the Year 2016
• The Guardian Sustainable Business Awards 2016 
• Winner of the Sustainable Futures category at the IGD Awards 2015
• Waitrose Way Awards 2015 – Treading Lightly Reducing CO2 – Winner
• Winner of the Food & Drink Federation ‘Environmental Leadership’ Award 2015 
• National Champion representing the UK in the 2015/16 European Business Awards – Environmental & Corporate Sustainability
• UK AD & Biogas Industry Awards – Best On Farm AD Project –Winner
• The Guardian Sustainable Business Awards 2015 (Winner in Carbon & Energy Management)
• The Footprint Awards 2015 – Sustainable Use of Natural Resources (Winner)
• The Footprint Awards 2015 – Energy Efficiency Award (Finalist)
• IFE World Food Innovation Awards 2015 Winner Best Corporate Social Responsibility Category
• National CSR Awards 2015 – Environmental Leadership Award (Winner)
• Farm Business Cream Awards – Cream Award – Highly Commended

• The Guardian Sustainable Business Awards 2014 (Winner in Waste Innovation Category)

• Waitrose Way Awards 2014 – Treading Lightly for Water – Winner

• Waitrose Way Awards 2014 – Treading Lightly for Carbon – Winner

• Short-Term Payback Award (Runner Up)

• Insider Made in the UK – Green/Sustainable Manufacturer Award (Winner)

• 2degrees Sustainable Business Champions 2014 (Energy & Carbon Management)

• The UK & Biogas Industry Awards for Best AD Plant in the Food & Drink Industry (Winner) 

• The Grocer Green Supplier of the Year Award 2014 

• The Footprint Awards 2014 – The Energy Efficiency Award  (Winner)

• The Footprint Awards 2014 – Economic Sustainability Award (Winner) 

• The Manufacturer Awards – Manufacturing in Action (Finalist)

• The World Dairy Innovation Awards 2013 – Best Environmental Sustainability Initiative (Finalist)

• The BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2013 (Highly Commended)

Managing Director Rich Clothier has been recognised for his passion and commitment to sustainability. He won the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards 2013 ‘Personality of the Year’, The UK & Biogas Industry Awards ‘AD Hero of the Year’ and Farmers’ Weekly ‘Sustainable Farmer of the Year’ 2014 Award.

www.wykefarms.com 

http://www.facebook.com/wykefarms 

For more info, images and samples: paloma@connectedpr.com

Tags: #LoveSomerset, Cheddar, Ivy's Reserve

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