Multi-million pound boost funds cheese manufacturer’s HQ expansion

Long Clawson Dairy, the largest stilton cheese manufacturer in the UK, has extended its headquarters in Leicestershire and bought new machinery with a £7m funding package.

The business, founded in 1911, uses milk from more than 43 local farms across Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to produce cheese that is sold to major retailers in the UK, Europe, North America and Australia.

Following an increase in exports to North America, the business turned to long-term banking provider Lloyds Bank to support the extension of its Melton Mowbray site.

The extension was completed by construction company Lindum Group, which specialises in food manufacturing sites, and has provided the business with the space to boost its capacity for future growth.

Long Clawson Dairy has also secured an asset finance facility from Lloyds Bank to enable it to purchase new, state-of-the-art machinery to help meet the growing demand from its North American customers without impacting day-to-day cash flow.

Luke Goddard, finance director at Long Clawson Dairy, said: “Long Clawson Dairy started out as a small, local cheese maker and as we’ve expanded we’ve always kept that same ethos by locally sourcing all of our produce. It’s hugely rewarding to see our cheeses being enjoyed around the world, and the extended site and new machinery means we can continue to expand our business and share our products with more customers.

“Lloyds Bank has been instrumental in our growth and the team really understands our business values. We’re looking forward to working with them again in the future.”

Andy Dunlop, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “It’s great to see two of our long-standing East Midlands customers, Long Clawson Dairy and Lindum Group, collaborating on this project and capitalising on the opportunities in the all-important North American market.

“We’re committed to helping Britain prosper which is why we’re supporting ambitious mid-sized businesses to continue to realise their growth ambitions both internationally and at home.”