The dairy creamery famous for producing Wensleydale cheese will significantly increase production following a £17.9m deal with HSBC.
North Yorkshire’s Wensleydale Creamery is investing in new equipment to increase production capacity and grow sales.
The move will also help secure local employment opportunities and ensure a sustainable future for the farms supplying the dairy.
The deal, along with securing an EU productivity grant of approximately £800,000, will enable Wensleydale Creamery to help modernise its cheese-making facilities.
It will purchase new vats, working tables and cheese-making and curd-handling equipment in a bid to improve efficiency and the working environment.
A new cheese smoking plant, along with water recycling and increased milk storage capacity are also being planned.
In addition, almost £1 million of the funding will go towards a cheese blending and waxing facility, allowing the business to blend cheese more efficiently with a state-of-the-art production line.
David Hartley, Managing Director of Wensleydale Cheese, said the funding deal with HSBC puts the company in a 'strong position'.
“The support will allow us to increase and improve production across the creamery,” he said.
“By investing in new, modern equipment, we can improve our efficiency as well as improve process control with technical excellence.
“It puts us in a strong position to grow the business and meet customer demand for our brand and products.”
The Wensleydale Creamery, located in Hawes, North Yorkshire, produces 4,000 tonnes of cheese a year and employs a workforce of 230.
