Award-winning cheese company fights to get back in production
While many people across the UK have been struggling to cope with flooding from the excessive rainfall of recent weeks, an award-winning cheese company has had to deal with water damage from another source.
 The Swaledale Cheese Company - based in the Yorkshire Dales - was forced to bring a temporary halt to its cheese making when an expansion vessel in the water system burst and flooded their premises in the market town of Richmond.
Hundreds of kilos of finished cheeses were also damaged when the water - which brought about major structural damage - cut off the electricity supply causing temperature fluctuations in the main storage areas. The company is now working round the clock to clear up the premises so normal business can be resumed.
Mandy Reed, who set up the company with her late husband, David, as a family business over 20 years ago, explains why this will inevitably lead to a temporary shortage of the popular Swaledale cheese.
"This has been a catastrophic event for the business but we are hoping to start production again by the end of February. After that, it will take another couple of months before the first cheeses will be ready.
"All of our cheeses are made by hand and each variety needs carefully controlled temperatures, humidity levels and maturation times. This is a process which cannot be rushed so there is an unavoidable time delay between making the cheeses and them actually being able to go on the shelves.
"We will be working flat out to bring up our stock levels but meanwhile we apologise to our customers and suppliers if they have difficulty obtaining our cheese."
The expected shortage of cheese over the next few weeks is exacerbated by the products' ever-increasing popularity with demand regularly outstripping supply. Last year, the Swaledale Cheese Company made a £250K investment, which enabled it to double its production facilities. However, it still firmly resists any move towards mass production.
"We are a small, family run business and are keen to maintain our independence within the industry," said Mandy Reed. "All our cheeses are hand-made using traditional methods, which might mean less in quantity but it does mean we can ensure the quality."
The company, which has won many prestigious awards for its range of cheeses, currently produces 13 varieties of hand-made cheese. In 1995, it achieved PDO status for both Swaledale Cheese and Swaledale Ewes Cheese and regularly supplies specialist cheese shops, delicatessens, independent retailers and cheese wholesalers throughout the UK, as well as selling through regional farmers' markets.
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