Wyke Farms’s master cheese grader retires £5M nose

Nicknamed ‘the nose’, Pooley has graded about 520M packs of cheese over his career and his sense of smell was insured for up to £5M by Wyke Farms in 2009.

Diane Cox will take over as technical director in charge of cheese and butter grading with immediate effect.

Her responsibilities will include testing Wyke Farms’s cheese and butter to see when it has matured to the company’s standard. She will also make sure the flavour is consistent throughout the 15,000t of cheese produced every year.

She will report direct to Wyke Farms’s md and third generation family member Richard Clothier.

10 years of experience

Cox brings with her 10 years of experience working at Wyke Farms, moving up from site technical manager to group technical manager.

In these roles, Cox worked directly with Pooley, grading and selecting cheese for all customers.

Richard Clothier said that Cox’s appointment was a big transition for Wyke Farms and replacing Pooley was no easy task.

“Diane’s background is a great fit for this role and I have no doubt she will continue to make sure our cheese and butters are of the consistent high quality our consumers demand,” said Clothier.

“She has been part of the family for some time now, we are delighted with her promotion.”

Secure a policy

Talks are currently underway with insurance companies to protect Diane’s nose and sense of smell and plan to secure a policy covering her for up to £5M pounds.

Somerset-based Wyke Farms has produced cheese for more than 150 years. Wyke Farms’s products are available in supermarkets nationwide.

Meanwhile, Wyke Farms is one of the companies who has been shortlisted to win a manufacturing Oscar at the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards. Read the full list here.

Be among the first to find out the winners by booking a place at the Venice-themed awards ceremony at the London Hilton Park Lane on November 2.