Cheese-maker Wensleydale Dairy Products in Yorkshire will go ahead with redevelopment plans after being granted planning permission by the local authorities.
The Wensleydale Creamery will renovate its 60 year old cheese-making building at its existing site in Hawes to improve efficiency and capacity, while maintaining the same footprint of the existing building.
The company has guaranteed production of Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese in Wensleydale for decades to come.
It told Yorkshire Dales National Park that it couldn’t fulfill its ambition of having a single site in Hawes without this new development, which is essential to its application to the European Union for its Wensleydale Dairy Products to gain protected food name status for Yorkshire Wensleydale.
The submission will differentiate it from other Wensleydale Cheese on the market and is currently being processed in Brussels.
It uses traditional methods to handcraft cheese using milk from local farms.
“The decision recognises and supports our ambition to invest in our business to ensure efficiency, capability and sustainability, but most importantly create a viable legacy for cheese making in Wensleydale for future generations,” said David Hartley, managing director of The Wensleydale Creamery.
Wensleydale Dairy Products currently employs 200 people in the local area and the redevelopment is set to provide a £12m boost to the local economy.
Mr Hartley added that the redevelopment plans will contribute to the sustainable growth of the business and comes as the first stage in its plan to deliver a showcase facility for handcrafted cheese production as a tourism destination for fans of the brand.
