Longman's Cheese

What Longman's Cheese does

Longman's Cheese is a fifth-generation Somerset-based artisan dairy producer, founded in 1880 when the Longman family established operations at North Leaze Farm in North Cadbury. The company manufactures a portfolio of traditionally crafted cheeses and butters under five sub-brands: Longmans Cheddar (aged variants from Youngman to Strongman and XXX), Longmans Salted and Unsalted Whey-Cream Butter, the acquired Green's of Glastonbury heritage label (including the Twanger Cheddar-style cheese and traditional/organic Cheddar, Double Gloucester, and Red Leicester ranges), Bruton Brie (organic Brie from Guernsey milk), Yarlington Blue, and Smokeacre oak-smoked Cheddar. Core production techniques are traditional rather than technology-led: cloth-bound Cheddar aging, whey cream butter production that retains living cultures from grass-fed cow milk, and hot oak chip smoking. The company holds multiple industry awards, including a 2026 British Cheese Awards Gold for its salted butter, two Bronze medals for Green's Twanger (2022 and 2026), and Best Butter at the International Cheese and Dairy Awards in 2013 and 2017.

The business sells through three channels: wholesale B2B (handled by partner The Fine Food Company, reaching 6,000+ customers across education, healthcare, hospitality, and retail verticals), direct-to-consumer online via The Cheese Market platform, and physical retail through Hunt's Food Hall stores in Sherborne and Pylle, Somerset. Pricing is quote-based for wholesale and not publicly disclosed. In 2014, turnover was reported at £9 million when Chris Slocombe joined the business; the company was acquired by The Fine Food Company in 2026 after founder Sarai Longman (fifth generation) retired, with Slocombe remaining as Director. The registered entity, Longman Cheese Sales Ltd, is a UK private limited company headquartered at Ludbourne Road, Sherborne, Dorset, operating under the parent group The Fine Food Company / Hunt's Food Group.

Name

Longman's Cheese

Legal name

Longman Cheese Sales Ltd

Website

https://longmancheese.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Longman's Cheese is a fifth-generation Somerset-based artisan dairy producer founded in 1880, manufacturing traditional cloth-bound Cheddars, whey-cream butters, Brie, and blue cheese under brands including Longmans, Green's of Glastonbury, Bruton Brie, and Yarlington Blue, sold wholesale to 6,000+ B2B customers via The Fine Food Company and direct via The Cheese Market and Hunt's Food Hall.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese & Dairy Products

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers (424430)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB), Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA), Dairy Spreads, Dips & Cream Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAL), Cheese Wholesale (AFAIAEAC)

Keywords

• Artisan cheese production
• Farmhouse dairy products
• Traditional cheddar aging
• Whey cream butter
• Wholesale cheese supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeovil

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale B2B Sales: Bulk wholesale supply of artisan cheeses and butter to over 6,000 business customers including education, healthcare, hospitality, and retail sectors. Products sold in whole wheels, blocks, and custom portioning for catering, retail and foodservice.
2. Retail Direct Sales: Direct retail sales through Hunt's Food Hall physical stores in Sherborne and Pylle, Somerset.
3. Online Direct-to-Consumer Sales: Online sales through The Cheese Market platform delivering products directly to consumers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Longman's Cheese produces and sells an artisan dairy portfolio including traditionally aged cloth-bound Cheddars (Youngman, Matureman, Strongman, XXX variants), whey-cream butter (Salted and Unsalted Lactic), Green's of Glastonbury Cheddar and specialty cheeses, organic Bruton Brie from Guernsey milk, Yarlington Blue, and oak-smoked Smokeacre Cheddar. The company supplies bulk wholesale to over 6,000 business customers across foodservice, hospitality, education, and healthcare, and sells directly to consumers through Hunt's Food Hall retail stores and The Cheese Market online platform.

Product overview

Longman's Cheese is an award-winning Somerset-based dairy and cheese company founded in 1880, operating as a wholesale food solutions provider. The company offers a unified portfolio of artisan dairy products centered around five distinct brands: the core Longmans brand featuring traditionally aged Cheddars (Youngman, Matureman, Strongman, XXX variants) and Whey-Cream Butters (Salted and Unsalted Lactic); the acquired Green's of Glastonbury heritage brand with its flagship Twanger Cheddar-style cheese plus conventional and organic Cheddar, Double Gloucester, Red Leicester, and specialty Goat's and Ewe's milk cheeses; Bruton Brie (organic soft cheese from Guernsey milk); Yarlington Blue (artisan blue cheese with annatto colouring); and Smokeacre (oak-smoked mild cheddar). The products are distributed wholesale through The Fine Food Company, retail through The Cheese Market online and Hunt's Food Hall stores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Longmans Cheddar: Traditionally aged Cheddar range spanning from Youngman (gentle creaminess) to Matureman, Strongman and XXX variant (full-bodied bite). Made using milk from grass-fed cows and matured by traditional methods.
• Longmans Butter
• Green's of Glastonbury
• Bruton Brie
• Yarlington Blue
• Smokeacre

Quantifiable outcome

• Longmans Salted Butter won Gold at the 2026 British Cheese Awards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Fine Food CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Longmans joined forces with Somerset-based wholesaler The Fine Food Company in 2026. The Fine Food Company handles all wholesale distribution of Longmans brands including whole wheels, blocks and custom portioning for catering, retail and foodservice. Contact via [email protected] or 01963 828 300.
• Hunt's Food HallcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail store partnership for in-store sales of Longmans cheese and dairy products at Hunt's Food Hall locations in Sherborne and Pylle, Somerset.
• The Cheese MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline retail partnership allowing consumers to browse and buy all Longmans brands online with delivery straight to homes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cropwell Bishop: Nottinghamshire-based specialist Stilton producer with strong foodservice and retail presence. Comparable as a UK regional artisan cheese specialist with B2B wholesale focus.
• Quicke's: Devon-based traditional Cheddar maker using cloth-bound aging, family-owned heritage brand. Directly comparable artisan cheddar producer with similar B2B foodservice and DTC retail channels.
• Wyke Farms: One of the largest independent cheese producers in the UK, based in Somerset, specializing in traditional Cheddar. Directly comparable to Longmans in heritage cheddar production, Somerset geography, and B2B/wholesale supply model.
• Westcombe Dairy: Somerset artisan cheesemaker producing traditional Cheddar and other varieties using similar handcrafted methods. Comparable as a regional premium dairy peer with overlapping foodservice and retail channels.
• Keen's Cheddar: Somerset-based traditional Cheddar producer with multi-generational heritage. Direct comparable to Longmans on traditional cloth-bound Cheddar production, regional positioning, and award-winning profile.
• Barber's Cheesemakers: Family-owned Somerset cheesemaker producing traditional cloth-bound Cheddar since 1833. Highly comparable to Longmans on heritage positioning, traditional cloth-bound aging methods, and B2B foodservice/wholesale focus.
• Montgomery's Cheese: Traditional cloth-bound Cheddar producer based in Somerset. Highly comparable on artisan heritage positioning, traditional aging methods, and premium specialty cheese retail/foodservice focus.
• Appleby's Cheese: UK artisan cheesemaker producing traditional varieties including Cheshire and Double Gloucester. Comparable on traditional methods, multiple cheese types, and supply to specialist retail and foodservice.

Broad incumbents

• Saputo Dairy UK: UK subsidiary of Canadian dairy giant Saputo, owner of Cathedral City Cheddar and other mass-market dairy brands. Broad incumbent in the same UK cheese category with overlapping retail and foodservice channels, though operating at much larger scale with mass-market positioning.
• Lactalis UK: UK arm of global dairy leader Lactalis, owner of brands including Président and Galbani. Broad incumbent competing in UK cheese and dairy categories across retail and foodservice, though at significantly larger scale and with mass-market focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LongmanCheese
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/longman-cheese-sales-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/longmancheese
• Xx.com/longmancheese

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Longman's Cheese