Nutty, complex and sustainable: Wyke Farms unleashes carbon-neutral cheddar cheese

Wyke Farms’ new Ivy’s Reserve Vintage Cheddar is said to have a ‘slightly sweet, nutty and complex’ flavor profile, but there’s another key ingredient to the Sommerset cheesemaker’s new release.

The cheese is said to be the world’s first branded cheddar to achieve a carbon-neutral status. The claim comes from the cheesemaker’s recently-audited carbon performance, for which Wyke Farms partnered with the Carbon Trust to undertake a footprint analysis that certified the company's footprint as carbon neutral.  

Wyke Farm’s managing director Rich Clothier told DairyReporter: “The carbon neutral status has been achieved by addressing our own scope one and two emissions and also working with farmers to reduce their scope three emissions. We produce all of our own electrical energy and all of our gas through renewable sources. In fact, we are net exporters of green gas and generate our own business offsets. The process has been foot printed cradle to grave by the Carbon Trust and areas of emissions have been identified and reduced through investment and good working practise. The process is audited to PAS 2060.”​

The cheesemaker has an elaborate emissions reduction strategy, which focuses on five areas – farming, including animal feed, land management and energy use as well as regenerative farming; production, including water reuse, heat recovery and waste and packaging reduction; green energy, through the farm’s 100% green energy sources including solar panels and biogas from farm and dairy waste; conservation of the countryside; and offsetting, which the company says is ‘only a temporary solution’ as it seeks other ways to become net positive.

The company has claimed a number of sustainability accolades over the years; it was also the UK’s first national cheddar brand to become 100% self-sufficient in green energy.

"This has been a 12-year journey for us,”​ Clothier added. “We started our 100% Green strategy in 2010 when we made a commitment to energy independence and generating all of our gas and electric from renewables. Since then, we have invested in our knowledge base across this business and on farm driving environmental improvement year on year."​

"Ivy’s Reserve is a world-first and an industry shake-up. This will continue to be our focus in the years ahead as we push for more net positive improvements.”

Ivy’s Reserve is now available online in the UK through www.ivys-reserve.com. The cheese is also on sale in branches of Costco in the US.

Further carbon-neutral products are to be added to the portfolio over the next 12 months, Wyke Farms said.