The sweet smell of cheddar! Cheese grader’s nose most expensive in UK as company value it at £5 million

Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer and milk processor, are enlisting the help of Lloyds of London to insure their Master Cheese Grader’s nose for £5 million. The Somerset-based cheese expert, Nigel Pooley, has worked in the cheese-producing industry since 1963 and has graded cheese for the century-old, family-run Wyke Farms for the past 12 years, where he specializes in selecting good commercial cheese that the mass market will enjoy.

 Richard Clothier, third generation family member & Managing Director at Wyke Farms, is insistent that the quality of their Cheddar is of a consistently high standard and comments: “As an industry veteran with a naturally honed palate, Nigel plays an integral role in ensuring the quality of every batch of Wyke Farms’ award-winning cheddar that leaves the farm. It may seem a bit unusual to go to such great lengths – something that’s typically reserved for celebrities, but then again, we’ve never been afraid to stray from the norm in order produce the best farmhouse cheddar possible. In fact, you could say that Nigel is a bit of a celebrity around our farm.”
 
Owned and operated by the Clothier Family since 1902, Wyke Farms has become known for their long-standing traditional values and practices, as well as the distinctive taste of their award-winning cheddar. As the one who grades and selects cheese for packing, or more importantly for further maturation to produce their renowned Vintage cheeses, Nigel Pooley is a valuable asset and the guardian of the Wyke brand to ensure its consistency and that each product delivers what it promises on the packaging.
 
 To read the full story, click here