Future uncertain for artisan cheesemaker

A Peak District manufacturer of cheese which can trace its history back to the 1870s is facing an uncertain future.

Hartington Creamery has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, according to documents seen by TheBusinessDesk.com.

The company, whose original creamery was set up by the Duke of Devonshire in 1870, has been based at Pikehall Farm in Matlock since 2012 and makes a range of cheeses including Dovedale Blue and its own Stilton. Indeed, the firm is known as the smallest Stilton cheese producers in the world.

All the company’s cheese is handmade on site by artisan cheesemakers.

In recent years, the company has diversified to produce its Hartington Whey Gin and Vodka.

In its latest accounts, made up to 31 March 2022, Hartington Creamery made a loss of almost £550,000. At the time, the company employed 13 people.

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