Say British cheese to provide ‘grater’ support for our dairy farmers, says NFU

“We have over 700 varieties of cheese produced on this tiny island of ours – that’s more than France", says the NFU
“We have over 700 varieties of cheese produced on this tiny island of ours – that’s more than France", says the NFU

With a quarter of the milk produced in the UK processed into cheese, we need the public to support British dairy farmers more than ever by choosing British where they can, the NFU said today.

At the start of the International Cheese Show at Nantwich, NFU dairy board chairman Rob Harrison said: “We have over 700 varieties of cheese produced on this tiny island of ours – that’s more than France - and many of them are displayed in Nantwich today. Shoppers have a huge selection of dairy products to choose from and I’d urge them to try something new this summer. Over 98 per cent of British households purchase cheese, so I want to ensure that as much of this as possible is British.”

Reasons why the public should buy British produced cheese:

• We have a strong cheese producing tradition in this country –where else would you find such variety?

• Our milk is fully traceable from farm to plate.

• Over 92 per cent of our dairy farmers are Red Tractor assured - guaranteeing that the dairy products you choose meet high standards of food safety, environmental protection and animal health and welfare.

• Dairy farmers are the countryside’s custodians, helping to shape our rural landscape and ensure wildlife flourishes

• Cheese tastes good and is good for you. Cheese is a nutritionally dense food product packed with protein, calcium and vitamin B12.

• Cheese is one of the most versatile foods around – eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner as a starter, main course or dessert

Rob Harrison added: “The currency situation, with a strong pound and weak Euro, means that importing cheese into the UK is going to be a real threat going forward. Let’s show British retailers and food service outlets that the public want British cheese, and that they want it clearly labelled and prominently displayed in store.

“So far this year we have a positive story to tell on exports with figures showing that UK cheese exports were 17.3 per cent more than in the same period the previous year – that’s over 49,000 tonnes of cheese. Total exports of Cheddar have increased year-on-year by 65 per cent or 9,319 tonnes.

“If you care about the future of the British dairy industry take the Dairy Promise and look out for Red Tractor dairy products, particularly cheese, when in store or eating out.”