Wyke’s Master Cheese Grader celebrates 50 years of industry experience.
Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, today honour their Master Cheese Grader’s £5 million nose as he selects and grades his 5,000,000,000th pack of cheddar today at Wyke Farms. Master Cheese Grader, Nigel Pooley, has graded over 1.4 million tonnes of cheddar over his time at Wyke and today celebrates 50 years of experience in the cheese-producing industry.
Nigel plays an integral part in ensuring the quality of every batch of Wyke Farms’ award-winning cheddar that leaves the farm. So valued is Nigel’s nose, that Wyke enlisted the help of specialist insurance firm Lloyds of London four years ago to insure it for £5 million.
“Nigel is an industry veteran with a naturally honed palate, and we count on him to ensure the quality of every pack of our cheddar that goes out the door.” said Rich Clothier, third generation family member and Managing Director at Wyke Farms “We congratulate Nigel on his 50 years in the industry and are thrilled to have this much cheese-grading experience and expertise here at Wyke.”
“I cannot believe I have graded that much cheese!” said Nigel Pooley Master Cheese Grader at Wyke Farms, “I have spent my whole life in the dairy industry and love my job at Wyke Farms – I have no intention of retiring anytime soon.”
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.