British cheese receives accolade
Somerdale International has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The winning of this award recognises Somerdale’s sustained growth and development in becoming a leading exporter of high quality British cheeses and dairy products to over 50 countries around the world. Growth, has accelerated over the past six years with the company’s overseas earnings increasing by 73%.
Somerdale International is now in its 26th year of operation and has a turnover of over £32 million (€41m), of which exports represent 94%. It provides an effective route to the international market for over 250 British cheeses made in some of the country’s creameries including traditional cheddars, blue cheeses, flavoured cheeses and traditional hand-made, artisan cheeses. Today, it is an exporter of British cheese to the US with shipments leaving for New York every week. While it has also grown its presence in key markets such as China and the Far East, the Caribbean, Australia and emerging markets such as the Middle East and North Africa and Brazil.
Commenting on the award Nairn Glen, chairman of Somerdale International, explains, “We are extremely proud to have won the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The award is testament to the experience and expertise we have accumulated in more than 25 years of exporting to all parts of the globe; the skill and dedication of our staff; and the excellence of our partner suppliers who produce some of the very best British cheeses and dairy products.”
Somerdale has invested substantially over the last five years in its British operational facilities located in Somerset, England. Its 10,000 square-foot cold store and offices is being joined by the recent acquisition of an additional cold store facility adjacent to the existing Wellington operations. The new facility will come on line later this year and will provide additional capacity.
In addition, Somerdale has also invested in its own markets, providing international customers with ongoing support and advice on how to best market and sell what it believes represents the very best of British dairy produce. This includes having a team of three sales people and a product marketing trainer in the US and dedicated sales representatives in Australia and China. These are complemented by an established network of international shipping partners and in market distributors.
Stephen Jones, director and co-founder of Somerdale International, adds, “Somerdale is focused on delivering excellence in the export of cheeses and dairy products based upon leveraging our experience, expertise and state-of-the-art facilities. We have a strong and growing base of international customers and now supply many of the leading speciality cheese retailers, as well as mainstream distributors, across the world. This growth reflects our ability to offer our international customers convenient access to some of the very best British cheeses made by cheese makers that care passionately about producing cheeses of the highest quality, consistency and taste.”
