Wyke Farms’ cheese grader Diane Cox joins board of directors
Wyke Farms, the UK’s largest independent cheese producer, and producer of renewable energy, has named Diane Cox as group technical director, responsible for all business quality and technical functions.
In October Wyke Farms achieved record breaking sales; the company is now exporting cheese into over 160 regions, many with differing technical standards.
Rich Clothier, 3rd generation family member and managing director said: “We will all be supporting Diane in building a team to support this growth and take advantage of the many opportunities in the UK and overseas.”
Cox joined Wyke Farms in 2005 as one of only a handful of female cheese graders in the UK. The dairy industry is still typically male dominated and very few women take the role of ‘Master Cheese Grader’ as Diane did in 2017. Even fewer go on to serve on the board of directors with only 8.5% of executive directors in the UK being female.
Rich Clothier continued: “It is not about diversity box ticking, it’s about ‘diversity of thought’ on the board; something we need to be successful and something Diane brings in abundance”
Wyke Farms have over 150 years of family farming experience and is one of the largest family-owned cheese makers in Britain selling over 15,000 tonnes annually.
