Cheese producers, Wyke Farms, have further invested into its ‘100% Green’ sustainability plan, with a new 65kw solar array, positioned on its new cheese storage dispatch building in Wincanton, Somerset.

The new cheese storage is a state-of-the art building where the temperature is controlled at 12°C and highly energy efficient. Rich Clothier, managing director at Wyke Farms, said: “My grandmother’s stone maturing barn on the farm stayed at a steady 12°C with some small seasonal variations. In our new stores we have replicated that closely in order to keep the recipe as close to hers as possible”.

There is space for 1,762 pallets of cheese, amounting to approximately 2,000 tonnes of additional storage capacity that is required to meet the demands of growing export sales in vintage flavour profiles.

Clothier added: “This is our fifth business solar array set and moves us closer to fulfilling our commitment to position solar on all of our south facing roofs where we use daytime power.

“Reducing carbon is essential for all businesses and this is an easy, cost effective way to do just that. The principles of sustainability are at the heart of all of our business decisions, which can be seen from the continual development of our green portfolio over the last ten years.”

Wyke Farms’ investment and commitment to green energy forms part of the company’s ‘100% Green’ sustainability plan, through which, it has reduced its carbon footprint and become the first national cheddar brand to be 100% self-sufficient using its own energy generated from solar and biogas.