Lancashire-based Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses (BFC) has snapped up local soft cheese producer Hampshire Cheese Company (HCC) for an undisclosed sum.
BFC said the acquisition would take place with immediate effect.
The purchase comes as the Blacksticks Blue cheesemaker looks to boost its offering of soft cheeses.
BFC has been investing in expanding the segment over the past two years, it said in a statement, developing soft cheeses under its namesake label as well as new branded products, such as Button Mill and Kidderston Ash goats cheese.
The group’s production site is located in Longridge, Lancashire, while HCC’s facility is based further south in Herriard, Hampshire.
Set up in 2005 by Stacey Hedges, HCC is known for its Camembert-style Tunworth and Winslade soft cheese rounds.
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Hedges and the group’s six employees will remain working at the HCC site in Hampshire following the acquisition, BFC told Just Food.
Commenting on the news, Matthew Hall, fourth-generation owner at BFC, said the move was “consistent with our soft cheese strategy”.
He added: “Over the years, Stacey has shared our mission to drive the British cheese renaissance in the UK and we are privileged to bring Tunworth and Winslade into our family, continue on that journey and get more of the amazing cheeses being made in Britain, to more people”.
Founded in 1932, BFC is run by the fourth generation of the Butlers family. Its portfolio includes Ravens Oak soft goat’s cheese, Beacon Blue, Stratford Blue cheese, and hard cheeses Goosnargh Gold, and Parlick, to name a few.
The company’s annual turnover rate sat at £18.2m in 2022, according to financial statements on Companies House.
It currently employs 100 people at its facility in Longridge.
Both BFC and HCC market to retailers and foodservice stockists across the UK. Up until now, HCC sold primarily to retailers including Waitrose, Neal’s Yard, Fine Cheese and Courtyard Dairy.
BFC holds listings at retailers including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Asda. According to its website, it also has partnerships with “retailers, independents, and hospitality across Europe”.
