UK – Wensleydale Creamery, a UK-based cheese maker owned by Saputo, has made an undisclosed investment in new machinery to enhance its production of smoked cheese.
The advanced smoking technology has been integrated into the existing facility in Hawes, North Yorkshire.
The company reports that the smoking machinery is already operational and has effectively doubled its current output.
The specifics of when the smokehouse was installed and the time frame for the increased production were not disclosed by Wensleydale Creamery.
The company also refrained from revealing its current production output but highlighted that the investment will enable the cheese maker to introduce smoked oak, hickory, and beech flavors to its range of cheeses.
Wensleydale Creamery’s current smoked product offerings include naturally smoked Cheddar and Wensleydale.
The company, known for its Wensleydale and Cheddar cheeses, as well as blue cheese, aims to leverage the investment to meet the growing demand for naturally smoked cheese.
Furthermore, the smoked cheese technology will be made available to all brands within Saputo UK’s portfolio, including Cathedral City, Davidstow, and the plant-based cheese maker Sheese.
While the company did not specify which brands might utilize the smokehouse, it indicates the potential for broader applications.
Saputo, operating in the UK, produces a variety of cheese brands, in addition to butters such as Clover, Country Life, Vitalite, Willow, and Utterly Butterly, along with the frying oils range, Frylight.
The recent investment in smoked cheese technology underscores Wensleydale Creamery’s commitment to innovation and growth in response to increased interest and demand for smoked cheese.
The move comes amid Saputo’s efforts to optimize its manufacturing network globally.
In November, the company announced plans to close a dairy facility in the UK, potentially impacting over 150 jobs.
Saputo has been streamlining operations in Australia and the US to cut costs, with the consolidation of manufacturing facilities.
In its recent third-quarter report, Saputo reported a loss, citing a C$265 million (US$196.8 million) impairment charge related to its Australia dairy division. The company continues to navigate challenges in the dairy industry while focusing on strategic optimization initiatives
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