Preston firm behind Blacksticks blue cheese warns over future of business - if new plans are not approved

The family-owned business, based at Wilson Fields Farm, Button Street, Inglewhite, makes some of Britain’s best-loved cheeses, including its flagship brand Blacksticks. It has recently become the UK’s largest independent soft cheesemaker, after acquiring Hampshire Cheese Company, home of much-loved soft cheeses Tunworth and Winslade.

But since a devastating fire at it’s Longridge maturation and distribution centre in November 2023, the company - which employs 95 people - has had to relocate entirely to Wilson Fields Farm - hitting productivity.

Now, in a bid to move the business forward, bosses have made an application to consolidate operations at the farm site, by carrying out a range of building work and alterations. They say it’s “the only viable option to secure the viability of the company.” They warn Preston City Council: “If the development is not permitted, there is a genuine risk to the continuation of the business.”

What are the plans?

The plans involve gaining permission to build a maturation unit with integral workshop at Wilson Fields Farm, along with a barn for office use in conjunction with existing agricultural business, as well a drainage works, formalisation of the existing internal access road, creation of a HGV turning circle and retrospective regularisation of the existing car park.

“The business will not produce hampers”

The planning statement adds: “Following the fire the business has considered its options, including re-building at Shay Lane and the proposed buildings at Wilson Fields Farm. In the months that have followed the fire, they have undertaken an assessment of the business to determine how best the company can rebuild to support the continued success of the business for the next 100-years, as well as the families and businesses from the local community that rely on them.

“During this process, it has become clear that the most sustainable route forward and the best process for business operations is to seek planning permission for the expansion of facilities at Wilson Fields Farm, namely a maturation shed, from which they can also dispatch their farmhouse cheese along with an ancillary office barn to oversee the operations. The business will not produce hampers but will return to its roots of making and packing cheese on the farm with a focus on long term sustainability as a rural employer.”

Finances

In August 2024, the company reported increased profits alongside an increase in turnover. In its latest filed accounts - covering the year to September 30, 2023 - turnover at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses (Parent) Ltd rose by 11 per cent to £20.3m. Pre-tax profits for the period rose from £774,797 to £953,932. But thes figures came from a time before the Longridge fire, and the firm's performance has since been affected.

Owner’s statement

Matthew Hall, fourth-generation owner at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses says: “The farm has been the soul of our business for over 90 years, and as we continue recovering from the devastating fire at Longridge a year ago, we have the opportunity to bring our cheese home and nurture it from beginning to end at the dairy.

“Our vision is for a state-of-the-art cheesemaking campus that is inspired by the land and a melting pot for innovation and ideas, a vision we have been discussing with Preston City council since the summer. We are grateful to our staff and the local farming community, who have helped us immeasurably over the last 12 months and continue to do so as we work to rebuild our business."