Deal secures cheesemakers future


14 December 2001



Deal secures cheesemaker’s future

By Johann Tasker

A WEST Country cheesemaker which was saved from closure will be supplied with milk from a local farmer after a ground-breaking deal.

Chewton Dairy Company one of Somersets most famous cheesemakers was bought by Andrew Venton last month after it was put up for sale by Lord Waldegrave.

In a bid to provide security for future growth, Mr Venton has signed a major new milk supply agreement with nearby Lordswood Farms.

Lordswood is one of the biggest dairy farms in Britain.

It is famous for its Montbeliarde herd a French breed selected for the cheese-making qualities of its milk.

The agreement allows Chewton Dairy to secure a 12-fold increase in annual capacity, from around 1.5 million litres of milk to a potential 17m litres.

Chewton makes traditional mature farmhouse Cheddar and already supplies Sainsburys supermarkets.

Mr Venton said: “With such a well established history and market for our products, this is an opportunity to develop the commercial edge through further investment and a three-fold increase in production over the next 18 months.”

In return, Lordswood has taken a shareholding in Chewton Dairy, continuing its strategy towards a completely integrated supply chain.

Lordswood chairman Malcolm Pearce said: “This is a good opportunity to maximise the value of our milk.

“We are particularly happy with the agreement because Chewton is recognised as a top-quality cheese producer.”

Mr Venton and Mr Pearce believe the two businesses are natural allies.

The first delivery of Lordswood milk to Chewton Dairy is due next month.

Until then, Lordswood will continue to sell its milk through Milk Link.

But supplying direct will mean more money for the farm and the cheese making enterprise.

Mr Venton said the deal had helped save the jobs of four existing employees, enabled another three to be re-employed and allowed the creation of a further five posts.

“We will be able to dramatically increase our output and become recognised as one of the leading cheese-makers in the south-west.”

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