Preston cheesemaker behind Blacksticks Blue continues bounce-back from devastating fire

A Lancashire company behind some of Britain’s best-loved cheeses has reflected on a year of resilience as it continues to bounce back from a devastating fire.

Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses in Inglewhite - best known for its flasghip brand Blacksticks Blue - has operated at only 60 per cent of capacity since a fire destroyed its cutting, packing, warehousing and office facilities in Shay Lane, Longridge in 2023.

A state-of-the-art facility has now opened at the Inglewhite dairy but the reduced capacity following the fire has hit newly-filed results for Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses (Parent) covering the 12 months to September 30, 2025 and is expected to continue to do so for several years.

Turnover for the 2024/25 financial year was £18.2m, a slight increase on the £16.9m in 2025, but base trading was said to have remained at 60 per cent of pre-fire levels.

The business also made a pre-tax loss of £608,000.

Matthew Hall, fourth-generation owner at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses, said: "Our turnover for the year ended 30 September 2025 reflects another year of resilience after the devastating fire at our Shay Lane office and packing site in November 2023.

“While sales have increased slightly year-on-year, trading remains at around 60 oer cent of pre-fire levels and we expect the effects of the fire to continue for several years.

"Our team has worked hard in challenging circumstances to support our farmers and maintain continuity of supply for our customers, while continuing to invest in the future of the business.

"Securing planning permission for our new £15 million cheesemaking campus in February 2025 marked an important milestone during the year. It enabled us to begin building our future home, bringing our full operation to the farm where technology will meet tradition to protect our craft and support the future of British farmhouse cheesemaking."

King Charles III officially opened the Lancashire family cheesemakers’ new cheese campus, which will nurture its cheese from beginning to end on the farm.

In the accounts, the completed £15m investment was said to mark an important next chapter for the business.