Longley Farm celebrates 60 years with awards to long-serving staff

Dec 10 2009 by Henryk Zientek, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Chief engineer Barry Haigh has overseen the smooth running of the cottage cheese production line for 44 years, having travelled to the USA to source the finest equipment available.

It was on a visit to the USA in 1964 that Joseph Dickinson saw how the Americans were turning cottage cheese into a widespread best-seller.

Returning to Yorkshire he was determined to do the same, experimenting by making early batches in a tin bath.

Soon a small vat was used, with the cheese stirred using hay rakes.

Longley became the first dairy in Europe to make cottage cheese on a commercial scale in 1973.

Today, state-of-the-art dairy equipment is used. But Jimmy says that’s no substitute for know-how.

“You still need years of experience to make proper cottage cheese.”

The quality’s so good that the French can’t get enough of it.

“We were told that no British cheese was good enough for France, and that without a French name it wouldn’t stand a chance,” said Jimmy.

“But we didn’t hold with that nonsense and launched our cottage cheese in Paris 25 years ago. Today it’s on sale across France – a true Yorkshire success story.”

Longley Farm’s history

Longley Farm began making cream as soon as rationing ended in 1954

Vast quantities of Longley Farm natural yoghurt are sold to Yorkshire’s Indian restaurants for use in curries

It had the first commercial wind turbine in the country

Every week letters arrive from people – often Yorkshire ex-pats – desperate to know where they can buy their favourite Longley Farm products