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Located just outside the market town of Garstang, the 18 acre green field site rest within a picturesque country setting and is approached through a double drive bisected by trees. In spite of the move, the philosophy has remained unchanged; we have not sacrificed the traditional handcrafted techniques that give our cheese its extra special flavour and texture quality. With each vat of milk differing from the last, every vat of cheese is produced as an individual batch to ensure consistent and very closely monitored product, which gives the level of quality expected by our customers. Hand made on the label means hand made at Dew-Lay.
Perhaps uniquely amongst cheesemakers, we have used the same mother culture, dating back over 20 years it contributes significantly to the fine flavour of Dew-Lay cheese. It was cause of considerable concern when we moved site. We are proud to hold the much sought-after BRC higher Level status, widely respected as an independent food audit by all the major food markets, in recognition of our high hygiene standards, inspection procedure and staff training.
We have constructed a first floor viewing gallery for the observation of the production process. Visiting groups of 15 and over are welcome to come and see the dairy in action from the gallery, and view the wall paintings showing the cheese-making process. Together with the visitor's entrance hall, with old artefacts such as antique butter churns, cheese presses and local cheese maker Joseph We are also the largest manufactory in the country of kosher cheese and are planning an ambitious expansion programme for both the home and export markets. You don't have to be Jewish anymore to buy kosher cheese. The kosher stamp of certification is only awarded after satisfying rigorous requirements for purity and supervision, and is seen as the hallmark of a quality cheese. Our traditional Creamy and Tasty Lancashire cheese are made by the classic 3-day curd method, popular in the heartland of Lancashire, which produces a wonderfully buttery, mellow and malleable cheese. Crumbly Lancashire reflects the preference for a freshly acidic 1-day curd traditionally favoured by people in the Manchester region and further South. Other Lancashires in the range include Special Reserve, with a deep, mature flavour, aged for up to 12 months, Traditional Lancashire with Garlic, Lancashire with chives and Dew-Lay light which delivers a full flavour with only 22% milk fat. Neil Kenyon explains: "We don't just want to get bigger and bigger, we are for more interested in developing as a major force in the traditional market. There is a happy medium in which we remain small enough to keep control of quality but large enough to have an impact upon the market." |
George Kenyon first established the Dew-Lay dairy in April 1957. Over the next forty years the Dew-Lay reputation for making consistent, quality cheese was established with Dew-Lay winning all the major awards at the top national cheese competitions.
In 1997, having outgrown our original site, we decided to relocate to a purpose dairy, allowing us to increase our capacity and install state of the art production facilities, which giving us total control over the production environment. 
"We were very worry in case the culture didn't survive the trip." Neil Kenyon, Managing Director, recalls "It is so sensitive to change in condition. We were all highly relieved when it did and it has settled down with no problem."The brand-new, 36,000 square foot dairy gleaming with stainless steel, built to the highest standards, features a hand-laid tiled floor, air conditioning, filtered air, controlled temperature, positive air pressures, separate pasteurization and starter rooms, sophisticated control and hazard analysis systems, and much extended storage and packing facilities. 
Gornall's own patented 'vat', they form the nucleus of a fine exhibition on the history of Lancashire cheese-making.
Whilst committed to tradition, everyone at Dew-Lay has their eyes fixed firmly to the future and new opportunity to expand our range.