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A Heritage as Rich As our Cheddar

We’ve been family farming in the heart of Somerset for over 160 years. And making award-winning cheddar to our Grandmother Ivy’s secret recipe for generations.

A few things have changed since Ivy made her first blocks of cheddar. But our family is still as passionate about providing your family with delicious, traditional Farmhouse Cheddar.

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2016

First Cheddar company to achieve Carbon Trust triple standard

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2015

Winner of a Guardian Sustainable Business Award

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2015

Rebranded our cheddar range to better reflect our Somerset farming and Green credentials

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2014

Commissioned the water recovery plant allowing up to 90% of waste water from the cheese dairy to be reused

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2014

Commissioned phase 2 of our Bio Gas project gas upgrading – supplying green gas to the grid

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2013

Launch of Wyke Farms 100% Green & Green Energy Centre. Our first 500KW generator was started and connected to the grid running on Biogas and generating green power to run the dairy

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2013

Win Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards ‘Dairy Company of the Year’ and Rich Clothier, our MD & third generation cheese maker won Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards ‘Personality of the Year’

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2012

Wyke starts green energy program by fitting first solar arrays to farm buildings and securing planning for a green biogas plant powered by farmyard manure and dairy waste

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2012

Redesign of our award winning cheddar packaging to make the range easier to shop and give greater stand out and more shelf presence

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2009

Rich Clothier wins Entrepreneur of the Year Award for business and marketing strategy growth of the Wyke brand

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2009

Investment in intelligent cutting and packing equipment allowing up to 100 tonnes of cheddar per day to be packed

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2008

Wyke Farms brand now sold in 150 countries across the world

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2005

The Wyke Farms brand starts to be stocked by major multiples in the UK

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1997

Wyke Sales Director, Ashley Wilson meets Alain Pancelot in Bordeaux. Wyke joins with Long Clawson dairy to create Alliance Fromage Anglais, to sell prize-winning Wyke Cheddar and Long Clawson Stilton in France and the rest of the world

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1994

Tom Clothier buys the company’s first pre-packing machine enabling the business to pack sizes from 200g to 1kg. 1994-2000 – Wyke supplying mainly milk rounds, convenience and impulse stores with cheese pre-pack portions

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1992

Brand changes from the Wyke Farmhouse Cheese Company to Wyke Farms as it fitted on the labels better and was easier to say!

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1980

John Clothier decides to leave the Farmhouse Cheesemakers Co-operative to form the Wyke Farmhouse Cheese Company and sell his own cheese. Armed with his tractor and a CB radio he sets off for London

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1975

John Clothier starts making some block Cheddar as well as rind on traditional Cheddars

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1965

Brothers John & Jim work together with Jim running the farm and John the cheese making

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1952

Ivy's Daughter Sue wins Reserve Champion prize for her cheese

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1948

The herd expands

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1947

John Clothier starts making cheese alongside his mum, Ivy

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1943

Richard ‘John’ Clothier is born

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1940

Forcing Tom to produce more milk

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1939

The demand for Ivy's Cheddar increases supplying local shops & delis

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1930

Jim Clothier is born

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1927

Tom and Ivy marry and continue farming and cheesemaking at Wyke

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1911

Ivy’s Dad Albert James shown as a Somerset farmer in 1911 Census

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1908

Ivy is born

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1906

Tom Clothier is born in the cheeseroom in the farmhouse at Wyke Champflower

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1904

1904, 1905, 1908, 1913 – Ivy’s Dad, Albert ‘Jim’ Thorne wins Champion Dairy Cow at the Mid Somerset Show

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1891

In the 1891 Census, Tom’s Grandfather is shown dairy farming and making cheese at Bridge Farm, Ditcheat, Alhampton

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1880

Tom’s Dad, Wilton ‘Frank’ Clothier, born on the farm in Alhampton, Somerset. In the late 1800s he moves from the family cheese Farm in Alhampton, to Hill House Farm, Wyke Champflower, to dairy farm and make cheese at Wyke, leaving his 3 sisters to make the cheese there. His sister Emma is still listed as the cheesemaker here in the 1911 Census. In the 1891 Census Tom’s Grandfather is shown dairy farming and making cheese at Bridge Farm, Ditcheat, Alhampton

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1869

Ivy’s Dad born

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1861

Ivy’s Grandfather, James, shown on 1861 Census as a farmer of 100 acres. Tom’s Great Grandfather shown in the 1861 Census as a farmer of 34 acres in Somerset

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1857

Tom’s Grandfather, Thomas, born in Ditcheat, Somerset

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1851

Ivy’s Great Grandfather shown in the 1851 Census as a big farmer with 300 acres, employing 7 people on the Mendip hills

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1815

Ivy’s Grandfather, James, born

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1808

Tom’s Great Grandfather, John, born

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1796

Ivy’s Great Grandfather, William, born

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1789

Ivy's great great Grandfather had a wheel of cheese stolen off of his cart in Kilver Street, Shepton Mallet.

The cheese was of 'west country' make – what we now know as Cheddar & was worth seven shillings.

The lady accused of pinching the cheese, said that it fell off of his cart – apparently the excuses don't change no matter how many years go by!