In late 2011, Winterdale Cheesemakers started to turn its production process over to carbon-neutral sources. Using a ground source heat pump as well as PV (photovoltaic) solar panels, Winterdale Cheesemakers found that it could generate enough energy to not only make its cheese to the same quality standard as a non-carbon-neutral cheese, but there was even energy left over to fully charge an electric vehicle to deliver the cheese carbon-neutrally.

The team, led by Robin Betts, owner and cheesemaker at Winterdale Cheesemakers, said: “We have been working towards a carbon-neutral cheese for such a long time now. Carbon-neutral really does mean a cheese which has been made with absolutely no energy usage at all. It hasn’t always been easy, but we really think the journey has been worth it.

“We always use morning milk from our family farm and start the cheesemaking process off while it’s still warm, as this saves masses of energy. It also makes the cheese really creamy. The perfect temperature for cheesemaking is 32 degrees, just less than the 37-degree body temperature at which it’s collected. We add starter culture, then the rennet and the curd is cut and cooked. The energy required comes from a ground source heat pump that heats the water to 50 degrees and then our solar panels take the temperature up those last few degrees required. The drained curd is placed in cheese moulds and pressed for three days before it’s wrapped in two layers of cotton muslin and laid to rest in our cave-like cellars, which are cut into the hillside deep enough to ensure that no matter the outside weather, the temperature varies only between 10 and 12 degrees – the perfect temperature for the 10-month maturation process.”

Juliet Harbutt, from the British Cheese Awards, said: “The idea of making a carbon-neutral cheese to offset the rather heavy carbon footprint from cows is inspired, and just makes their cheese taste even better.”

Continuing with their carbon-neutral initiatives, Winterdale Cheesemakers runs a carbon-neutral electric car that’s charged from the PV solar panel array next to the dairy and offers zero emissions.