The multi-millionaire owner of organic cheese company Hollis Mead, who once compared his milk to Dom Pérignon, has abruptly closed down the business.
Former city high-flyer Oliver Hemsley bought the farm in Dorset in 2017, using milk from his 250-strong pasture-for-life and organic cows to make soft cheeses in a new dairy in 2020. These included the triple cream Benville and Camembert-style Corscombe.
In an interview with FFD last year, Hemsley said he had invested around £5m in the farm and cheesemaking business, which was turning over £2m. He said he planned to grow sales to £3m by focusing on the environmental credentials of the farming operation and the quality of the milk, which he compared to fine wine. The company produced around 70,000 cheeses a year, under head cheesemaker Julia Stantiford, as well as yoghurt, butter, keffir and bottled milk.
But Hemsley unexpectedly decided to close down the business in June leading to a dispersal sale of all the farming machinery and dairy equipment. The company’s website was also taken down and its social media channels have not been updated, despite queries from the public about the closure. The business has not responded to questions or messages sent by FFD about the decision to shut down.
Hollis Mead had won awards at Great Taste and the British Cheese Awards for its cheese and supplied retailers including Paxton & Whitfield, Neal’s Yard and Planet Organic. Hemsley, who ran the business with his wife Charlotte, previously set up Numis stockbrockers in 1990, stepping down as CEO in 2016. The financial company was bought in 2023 by Deutsche Bank in a deal valued at £410 million.
This article first appeared in the August issue of Fine Food Digest.
