Food industry veteran is new chairman at Wensleydale Creamery

THE makers of Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese have hired a food industry veteran to help the company increase sales at home and abroad.
The Wensleydale Creamery, the cheese-maker set in the Yorkshire Dales, today appointed David Salkeld as its new chairman.The Wensleydale Creamery, the cheese-maker set in the Yorkshire Dales, today appointed David Salkeld as its new chairman.
The Wensleydale Creamery, the cheese-maker set in the Yorkshire Dales, today appointed David Salkeld as its new chairman.

The Wensleydale Creamery has appointed David Salkeld as its new chairman as it prepares for further growth. He takes over from Matthew Gribbin, who had been the company’s chairman for 10 years

Mr Salkeld was previously the chief executive at the Leeds-based convenience food manufacturer Symingtons, where he led the turnaround of the business and also secured a number of acquisitions.

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He was also previously the managing director of Northern Dairies and chief executive at Arla Foods.

The £27m turnover Wensleydale Creamery sources milk from around 40 local farms and employs more than 230 staff across two sites in the Yorkshire Dales.

It supplies a range of retailers and manufacturers across the UK and has also entered the export market.

David Hartley, the managing director at The Wensleydale Creamery, said: “We’re delighted to welcome David to The Wensleydale Creamery.

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“A leader with a wealth of experience, David will be instrumental in our future as he helps us to develop strategic opportunities; bringing new thinking and guidance to assist in the development and delivery of our ambitious growth strategy.

“We’re confident David’s appointment will bring real insight and benefits to all of the creamery’s stakeholders.

“We also want to say a big thank you to Matthew Gribbin for all his hard work and support which has been key to our development over the last 10 years.”

Mr Salkeld said: “It’s fantastic to join such a strong team at the creamery and I’m delighted to come on board as chairman.

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“It’s no secret that the dairy industry is a really challenging one, and we will continue to work hand-in-hand with all partners to ensure that we are focused to maximise on the wealth of opportunities that are available domestically and abroad.”

The business, which supplies UK supermarkets as well as delicatessens, recently said it was starting to see the benefits of a £5m investment made in a new creamery at its site in Hawes as well as cheese blending and packing facilities at its Kirkby Malzeard site.

The biggest concentration of the creamery’s farmer suppliers are based within a 17-mile radius, between Hawes and Leyburn, though some are located further afield, including Bedale and Richmond.