“Brands must continually invest to maintain their position”

As dairy manager of Colston Bassett it is my responsibility to oversee every aspect of the cheesemaking process and the wider business functions, from sales to marketing. Ultimately, I’m accountable for upholding the brand’s reputation and ensuring that we maintain the exceptional quality that we’re renowned for. If you’re unable to sustain the highest standards in food production, it can cause damage very quickly. You risk a detrimental impact on sales; customers will simply go elsewhere if the product doesn’t meet expectations. To preserve your brand’s status, you must be truly fastidious.

One of Colston Bassett’s key strengths has been the continuity that has existed throughout its history. Having had only four dairy managers in the past 105 years has created a natural stability. I have been at the dairy since 1999. The then dairy manager, Richard Rowlett and I wanted to grow an already highly regarded brand. We knew this reputation had been hard won by the previous manager of 40 years, Ernest Wagstaff. There were solid foundations in place and during my time, we’ve cemented our place in the market as one of the most highly regarded blue cheeses.

My role is to preserve Colston Bassett’s heritage and gradually add value to it. Changing any aspect of a historic brand must be an evolutionary process, it shouldn’t be too disruptive. My first year at Colston Bassett Dairy was spent observing and evaluating the existing cheesemaking practices. In 2000 I began slowly introducing changes, very subtle changes but ones that my experience had taught me would create a much more consistent product. This level of consistency has been repeatedly recognised at international cheese competitions over the years and has been a valuable tool for asserting our credentials.

Even though the dairy has been in existence for 105 years, nothing stands still for very long. Brands must continually invest to maintain their position. Colston Bassett Dairy has steadily grown production from around 260 tonnes of cheese in 1999 to 420 tonnes of cheese in 2017. We deliberately maintain traditional methods and continue to make all our cheese in open vats by hand. Success is based on recognising your business’ strengths and making tweaks to constantly improve and develop your brand. Stilton having PDO status certainly helps; achieving accreditation can be onerous but PDO products are internationally recognised and can help to grow export sales. Stilton has an enduring appeal for customers both in the UK and increasingly overseas. We have particularly healthy exports to the US and Europe. It’s incredibly important to interact with export customers; I try to schedule personal visits to key customers with our main export partner Neal’s Yard Dairy. These are crucial to better understand how to fulfil the requirements of these different markets.

Maintaining a public profile is vital to a brand’s success. This can be maximised through networking at events, being involved in judging or having a presence at exhibitions. Additionally, it’s important to invest in effective trade and consumer marketing activity. Strategically driven and creative campaigns can really help to reinforce your points of difference and ultimately generate additional sales. Thankfully, there is a lot of mutual respect within the cheese industry and I have complete respect for cheesemakers that bring something new to the market – I don’t underestimate the challenge they face. Colston Bassett Dairy is steeped in history which is hugely beneficial in terms of brand recognition. There are many lessons that can be learnt simply by looking at those food businesses that have stood the test of time and that continue to grow an incredibly loyal following.