Production of Tunworth and Winslade has moved to Lancashire following the acquisition of Hampshire Cheese Co by Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses in March.
The iconic British cheeses were moved to Butlers production site in Inglewhite in September to better meet rising orders at Christmas, while Hampshire Cheeses’ premises near Basingstoke are being used as a cheese distribution hub for the south of England.
Stacey Hedges, who set up Hampshire Cheeses in 2005, and cheesemaker Charlotte Spruce continue to work closely with Butlers, said owner Matthew Hall, who has kept customers informed of the process by welcoming retailers to the Lancashire site.
The company has also launched a trade website where customers can order Butlers cheeses directly, including Tunworth, Winslade, Blacksticks Blue and Raven’s Oak.
“Tunworth and Winslade sales continue to go from strength to strength, and with the Christmas trading period so key for the independent sector, it was important to have the foundations in place to deliver the Christmas sales peak,” said Hall, who is the fourth-generation owner of Butlers.
“In conjunction with Stacey and Charlotte, we agreed that production would be best served from our farmhouse dairy in Inglewhite, with the Hampshire site continuing to act as a maturation space, providing customers with the flexibility to collect their cheese from a location that suits them. Our new trade portal enables customers to place orders online and track Christmas orders from dairy to shelf.”
The acquisition of Hampshire Cheeses followed a turbulent time for Butlers, which suffered a devastating fire at its Longridge maturing and packing site in November 2023. The company is currently constructing new facilities at Longridge, which should open next year.
This article first appeared in the December edition of Fine Food Digest
