Dairy farmers launch range of cheeses with help of £26,000 grant

by Mike Brigden - 12/10/2010

"DAIRY farmers Neil and Carol Peacock are to launch their own range of artisan cheeses. "

The hand-made cheese will be made from farm-assured milk produced by their own dairy cows.

It will be pumped direct from the milking parlour into a new purpose-built cheese room just 15ft away.

The venture has received more than £26,000 funding from the Rural Development Programme for England managed by regional development agency One North East.

Mr Peacock farms in partnership with his parents, Jim and Mary, at Village Farm Dairy, Mordon, near Sedgefield.

The 200-acre farm features the 120 milkers and followers and 80 beef cattle. The herd supplies 850,000 litres of farm assured milk a year to the local Embleton Hall Dairies, Wingate.

Mr Peacock and his wife decided to launch the cheese partly as a source of new income, but also to enable their son and daughter – Joe, 14, and Georgia, 11 – to join the business at a future date.

Mrs Peacock is a cookery teacher by profession and went on a residential course in Cheshire to learn the art of cheese-making.

She said: “We had been thinking about it for a long time. We had always liked the idea of making a really good-quality product from our own milk.”

Mrs Peacock has developed a range of cheeses which has been well received at private “tastings” over recent months.

She said: “The response has been really great, especially towards the blue which is a softer cheese.”

She has also produced a crumbly cheese, a brie and a soft fresh herb cheese.

Work on the new unit has begun and Mrs Peacock anticipates that production will start at about 60kgs of cheese per week, increasing up to 200kgs a week, and creating three full time jobs.

She has begun to approach potential outlets including restaurants, delis and farm shops with samples and expects to launch the range in the New Year.

Mr Peacock said: “All of the main ingredients are fully traceable, produced directly at our farm providing 100pc traceability and provenance of product which is becoming increasingly important.”

The Peacock’s praised John Atkinson, of Business Link, for all the help and advice he has and continues to give them and to the RDPE for the financial help.

Adrian Sherwood, RDPE manager at One North East, said: “Village Farm Dairy has carried out research that has shown customers are now looking for cheese that has been produced using more traditional methods, with low food miles or clear evidence of provenance on the labelling.

“RDPE is pleased to support such a project that improves efficiency, opens up new market opportunities, improves the North-East’s food and drink chain as well as the overall performance of the business while also creating jobs in the local area.”

The volume of cheese sales is forecast to rise by 4.5pc between 2009 and 2014 to reach 393,000 tonnes.

For more details, call Mr and Mrs Peacock on 01740-622255.

More Details: http://www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/farmingbusiness/8441645.Dairy_farmers_launch_range_of_cheeses_with_help_of___26_000_grant/