B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.
To obtain its B Corp status it went through an externally audited process that requires applicants to demonstrate best practice in five impact areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.
Respectful relationships
Sharpham Dairy said it believes in trading responsibly through such efforts as minimising its environmental footprint, using sustainable packaging, creating a good place to work and securing Living Wage accreditation, and establishing fair and respectful relationships with suppliers.
Greg Parsons, owner of the dairy, said: “When we took over the dairy in 2019, my wife Nicky and I set out to use cheese as a force for good - cultivating a business that our team, suppliers, customers and retailers are proud to be associated with. Leading with our family values, we’ve created a culture of caring deeply for our business environment - putting profit for purpose at the heart of everything we do.”
Parsons added that they consider a successful business to be one that acts with “transparency and integrity” and in accordance with its core values with a responsibility to leave something better behind.
Nuturing
“From nurturing the symbiotic relationship between healthy pastures and livestock to supporting the people who churn milk into cheese, these values have been embedded in Sharpham Dairy’s DNA from inception 40 years ago, so we have always been aligned with B Corp ethos,” he added.
Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sharpham Dairy to the B Corp community. This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good. We know that Sharpham Dairy are going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward.”
The dairy produces a range of products including Brie, Rustic and Ticklemore cheeses. Its award-winning Sharpham Cheese is handcrafted with milk from their own herd of Jersey cows, along with goats and ewe’s milk from their West Country neighbours.
Over the years they have won outstanding awards including UK Supreme Cheese at the Global Cheese Awards and British Product of the Year in the Great British Food Awards judged by Marcus Wareing.
