Lynher Dairies, members of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, produces nettle-wrapped cheese, Cornish Yarg, and world-champion, Cornish Kern at its factory in Cornwall. Lynher’s cheeses are widely available to buy throughout the UK and frequently appear on menus and cheeseboards in restaurants nationwide. The company also exports to the USA and Australia. 

Following the pandemic, Lynher decided to diversify the business and focus more on working with organisations that shared the same vision for sustainable growth. Having supplied the Premier League and major airlines, the company would now set its sights on partnering with suppliers that could help reposition artisan cheese as something to enjoy regularly, rather seeing it as a luxury product to give as a gift. Lynher wanted to play a pivotal role in boosting the profile of artisan cheese, to make a meaningful contribution to the UK economy and drive green growth in the business. 

Thanks to effective marketing responding to a new way of life (during the pandemic), the company witnessed demand for specialist, artisan, hand-made cheese home delivery grow. It enhanced its online shop and broadened its product range to include different sizes of cheese, including wedges and hampers, tasting packs, and other related items like beeswax wraps. It opened a shop onsite and purchased a herd of Ayrshire cows that would provide beef and milk to sell. 

By creating a new shopping experience for its customer base – both physically and online, Lynher has evolved and enjoyed exceptional, sustainable growth. The company has consistently found ways to navigate change and embrace opportunities; Cornish Kern, for example, was born out of a clear need to produce a longer-maturing cheese to allow for constant production, helping cash flow and employment. It has also found innovative ways to grow the business through sustainable efforts. 

For example, it has diversified the business to sell cheese toasties, making use of misshapen cheeses. It is also turning sub-quality cheese into cheese powder and fondue. It aims to maintain a waste cheese target of less than 1% up to 2028, and will continue to develop processes that optimise the use of whey. 

The dairy manufacturer demonstrates an acute awareness of its interdependence with dairy farming and the environmental impacts of associated farming practices. It has addressed these issues by catalysing a whole-business effort to reduce its impact. The company wants to consume 100% renewable electricity by 2028. It has already installed monitors to inform energy reduction projects, reduced electricity consumption by 39%, invested in roof-mounted solar panels, and purchased a 100% Green Energy contract. 

It has reduced water consumption by 23% and aims to further reduce consumption by 5% each year up to 2028. And by 2028, it commits to eliminate all single-use plastics in the dairy and will ensure all packaging is 100% recyclable, reusable or biodegradable. Lynher has created a Woodland Management Plan for its 5-acre woodland onsite, installed EcoHives containing native black bees in its woodland, and made participation in environmental stewardship schemes a condition of its herd management contract.