A FAMILY dairy whose flagship cheese is sold and served in the UK’s most exclusive restaurants, hotels and department stores has reached a major milestone.
Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese – which can be found on deli counters in Harrods and Fortnum & Mason – is celebrating 40 years of partnership with the revered Neal’s Yard Dairy.
The decades-long relationship has seen the Kirkham family supply Neal’s Yard with their signature products for onward distribution to an increasing number of high-end venues.
Managing Director of Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese, Graham Kirkham, said: “I sometimes have to pinch myself when I reflect on how far we have come as a business.
“We supply some fantastic household names with our signature products and the list, which includes Booths, Waitrose, some of London’s top department stores – and even Whole Foods Market in the USA – continues to grow.
“That is possible because of the fantastic relationship we have with Neal’s Yard, who have been at the forefront of the dairy industry for more than four decades.
“Whilst it’s the milestone with them we are celebrating today, it’s only right that we also note the fantastic relationships we have across the wholesale and retail sectors with partners including Courtyard Dairy, Chorlton Cheese Mongers, Fine Cheeses and Paxton and Whitfield. They have, and continue to be, a hugely important part of our journey.”
Enterprise Answers has been proud to play a role in the continued growth and development of Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese.
The company was founded on the rural outskirts of Preston, Lancashire, in 1978, when Graham’s grandmother, Ruth, first started to make the cheese.
With the help of her husband John, Ruth turned an old piggery into a cheesemaking dairy which was their base until 2008, when production shifted to a purpose-built five-acre farm with on-site milking and cheese production facilities.
The family now have 100 cows and produce up to 100 tonnes of cheese every year using traditional methods.
In addition to top supermarkets and high-end department stores, Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese also features on the menus of some of the UK’s leading ‘A-list’ hotels and restaurants, including The Langham, Hampton Manor, the triple-Michelin-starred Moor Hall and Michelin-starred St John in London.
For Graham, continued investment in the business is key to its ongoing success, with the most recent works focused on a state-of-the-art milking parlour system.
That investment was made possible by working with Enterprise Answers, a not-for-profit business lender operating across Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire.
Graham said: “Enterprise Answers have a great approach to business lending and development. They are genuinely approachable, caring, easy people to work with.
“They work hard to understand where you are, where you want to get to, and will work hard to support your vision through tailored business lending.
“We certainly could not have upgraded our milking parlour without their support; they are fantastic business allies to have on side.”
With the dairy’s on-site farm shop rapidly growing in popularity and trade demand for the business’s eponymous cheeses showing no signs of abating, the future looks bright for Mrs Kirkham’s as it cruises towards its 50th anniversary.
Grahame Latus, Chief Executive of Enterprise Answers, said: “We love to work with businesses with vision, drive and ambition.
“Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese is a perfect example of a family enterprise that has stayed true to its roots while embracing progress.
“Their commitment to quality and tradition has created a product – and a brand – that stands proudly on the world stage. It has been a privilege to help support their journey.”