King Charles has officially opened Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses ‘cheese campus’.
The Lancashire family cheesemaker’s new campus has been opened following a fire at its Longridge office and packing site in November 2023, where hundreds of tonnes of cheese stock were lost just six weeks before Christmas.
The cheesemaker has rebuilt while continuing operations from its rural Lancashire dairy.
The campus has been specifically designed to pair modern technologies with traditional farmhouse cheesemaking techniques, resulting in “one of the most advanced farmhouse cheesemaking operations of its kind in the UK”.
It has been achieved predominantly with local Lancashire businesses, which Butlers said underlined its “ongoing commitment to supporting the rural Lancashire economy”.
“This is a defining moment in our history,” said Matthew Hall, fourth-generation owner of Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses. “Rather than replacing what we lost in the fire, we have chosen to make a generational investment for the long term.”
The campus boasts a number of sustainability credentials and aims to reduce road traffic and food miles by approximately 50% compared with operating across two sites.
The build used rubble from the fire site to create connecting paths, and the campus includes a state-of-the-art maturation shed, designed to meet the individual needs of Butlers’ hard, blue and soft cheeses.
The business said the site also unlocked opportunities for skills development, training and careers.
“Our campus represents everything we stand for – respect for our craft, belief in the resilience of our people, and a long-term commitment to doing things the right way,” added Butler. “To welcome His Majesty the King to officially open it is an incredibly proud moment for our family, team and the wider Lancashire community.”
The King met three generations of the family along with Butlers’ longest-standing employee and head cheese grader, Bill Yates, with 36 years of service, and head cheesemaker, Tim Fisher, with 35 years of service. Local suppliers from James Hall & Co and J Wareing & Son also shared their part in the campus build with the King.
His Majesty began the visit with second generation owner, Jean Butler, reviewing historical records and hearing stories from Butlers’ history.
He then toured the campus to see each stage in Butlers’ farmhouse cheesemaking and tasted Blacksticks Blue cheese with blackcurrant jam on a ginger biscuit, stating it as something that would be “great as a dessert”.
The King concluded his tour by unveiling a commemorative plaque in front of invited guests including farmers, partners, suppliers, customers and staff who were integral to the post-fire rebuild.
On his departure, the King commented on what “an exceptional family business” Butlers was.
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