100-year Yorkshire plant to close and move to Nuneaton

Wensleydale Creamery
-Credit:Megan Banner


Around eighty jobs have been put at risk at a cheese packing plant in North Yorkshire after owners confirmed plans to close the site and move its operations to Nuneaton. Owners Saputo Dairy UK (SDUK) said it intends to shut the Wensleydale Creamery Plant and relocate the work to Warwickshire.

The closure is set to end over 100 years of cheese production in the North Yorkshire village close to Ripon. In a statement, the company said that employees would be consulted before any final decision is made, and cheese would still continue to be manufactured at its main plant at Hawes, with employee consultations to begin 'shortly'.

The statement added: "Proposals that have the potential to impact employees are never considered lightly. We believe that relocating this operation is right for the business's long-term future as we maintain our efforts to pursue further efficiencies, reduce costs, and manufacture products of the highest quality."

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MP for Skipton and Ripon, Julian Smith, said he was 'deeply concerned' by the plans and that the closure would be a 'blow to the local community': "The dairy industry has been a key part of Kirkby Malzeard’s heritage for nearly a century, and its closure would break this historic link, damaging a proud local tradition and economic stability.

"I am ready to work with all stakeholders to find a viable solution that supports the local community and honours the longstanding tradition of dairy products made in Kirkby Malzeard," he added.

Cheesemaking has taken place in Kirkby Malzeard since the early 20th century, when a group of local farmers opened a dairy there to produce butter, cheese, and milk. The business was taken over by the Wensleydale Creamery in 1953, with a plant opening in the village in 1965.

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Chair of Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton and Dallowgill Parish Council, Councillor Pippa Manson, added: "It’s a big employer and will have an impact on the village shop and pub. We will have it on the agenda for the parish council meeting at the end of the month to discuss the implications on the local community."

In 2012, it was announced that cheesemaking would stop at the Kirkby Malzeard plant, and the factory would be used for order packing, blending, and dispatching. Canadian food group Saputo bought Wensleydale Dairy Products in a £23m deal in 2021.