Dairy to close as cost of cheese production ‘unsustainable’

THE award-winning Bodnant Dairy is set to close with the loss of five jobs after the cost of producing cheese became “unsustainable”.

Consultations with staff are already under way at the Conwy Valley business, which is a part of the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre.

A spokeswoman for the centre said: “It is with great regret that the company has arrived at the decision to cease production of cheese at Bodnant Dairy.

“The intention is to continue with butter and ice-cream production, but the costs of producing cheese had become unsustainable.

“The artisan process of making traditional hand-made cheese is very costly and the dairy was sadly unable to make the business profitable in what is a very competitive market.”

She added: “It is important to stress that the dairy is a standalone part of the food centre, and our ongoing commitment to showcasing the very best Welsh produce remains at the core of our ethos as we move forward with some exciting plans for other areas of the business.”

A former employee of Bodnant Welsh Food Centre said: “I’m a little surprised, as I thought the food centre itself was more under threat and the dairy would have survived.

“Let’s hope the food centre will continue after all of this, as it would be a shame, not just for all the people employed there, but also for the fact that it’s a fantastic place. “But it needs to be run properly.” In an interview with the Daily Post in May last year, just days before she left the business, then general manager Sandra Derbyshire said the dairy was struggling to make money despite success with its produce.

She said the centre had “lost its way” and there had been too many changes, leaving customers “confused”.

The centre also had to apologise to a customer after the “Welsh” gammon she bought turned out to be from Belgium.