Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese maker and producers of renewable energy, and The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative (OMSCo), the UK’s largest producer of organic milk and organic dairy exporter, today reveal their new joint business identity ‘The British Organic Dairy Company’.
This collaboration between the two businesses will provide a more robust yet flexible operation for the production of key organic dairy products, to exploit opportunities or ride out uncertainties in a post BREXIT world.
The development comes after the pair announced their business partnership in July and publically set out their intention to be the supplier of choice across the world for organic cheese, and premium cheese by-products by expanding organic cheese production, distribution and sales.
The UK organic cheese category is under performing relative to overall dairy, with just 1% market share within cheese, compared to 5% in liquid milk and 8.5% in yogurt, for example. This shortfall in potential can be attributed to supply chain issues such as poor quality driving low repeat purchase, sporadic supply and a relatively costly supply chain. “This collaboration will create a solid platform to grow sales of organic dairy products and allow it to reach its potential in a growing world market, now and post-Brexit ” said Rich Clothier, managing director and third generation family member at Wyke Farms. “ This alliance brings together quality and excellence in organic dairy production, from the world’s second largest 100% organic milk producer, combined with award winning cheddar quality from Wyke Farms; the most sustainable cheese maker in the world – it really is a world beating collaboration!”
The creation of The British Organic Dairy Company means that Wyke Farms will be sourcing all the milk requirements for organic cheese production from OMSCo, whilst OMSCo will increase its range of specialist organic cheese made by Wyke Farms for export markets, and also take a share in the ownership of bulk cheddar stocks for a proportion of domestic and export sales.
The collaboration will allow Wyke Farms and OMSCo to capitalise on the growth of the organic dairy market on a global scale, producing branded and own label products certified to EU, American and Chinese standards. As well as driving the opportunities that lie closer to home.
Wyke Farms has been producing its award winning cheddar to their secret family recipe for over 150 years and has grown to become one of the largest family-owned cheese makers in Britain selling over 15,000 tonnes annually to 160 countries around the world.
Wyke Farms have over 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.
