British cheese company, Somerdale International, has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.
The Award recognised Somerdale’s growing export of high-quality British cheeses and dairy products to over 50 countries, with overseas earnings increasing by 73 per cent over the past six years.
Somerdale International, now in its 26th year of operations, reported over £32 million ($59.2 million) in revenues – of which exports represented 94 per cent. More than 250 cheeses were made in some of the country’s leading creameries and include traditional Cheddars, blue cheeses, flavoured cheeses and traditional hand-made, artisan cheeses.
Nairn Glen, chairman of Somerdale International, said: “We are extremely proud to have won the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. The Award is testament to the experience and expertise we have accumulated in more than 25 years of exporting to all parts of the globe; the skill and dedication of our staff; and the excellence of our partner suppliers who produce some of the very best British cheeses and dairy products.”
The company is the leading exporter of British cheese to the U.S. with shipments leaving for New York every week. It has also grown its presence in key markets such as China and the Far East, the Caribbean, Australia and emerging markets such as the Middle East & North Africa and Brazil.
Somerdale has invested over the last five years in its British operational facilities located in Wellington, Somerset, England. Its 10,000 sq. ft. store is ISO 9001 accredited and fully SAP enabled.
It has also invested in providing international customers with support on how to best market and sell what it believes represents the very best of British dairy produce. This includes having a team of three sales people and a product marketing trainer in the U.S. and sales representatives in Australia and China.
Stephen Jones, director and co-founder of Somerdale International said: “We have a strong and growing base of international customers and now supply many of the leading speciality cheese retailers, as well as mainstream distributors, across the world.”
