Isle of Mull Cheese

Name

Isle of Mull Cheese

Legal name

J. Reade & Sons

Website

https://isleofmullcheese.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Cheese

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Whey Valorization & Co-Product Utilization (Animal Feed, Fertilizer, Biogas) (AFAHAGAK)

Keywords

• Artisan farmhouse cheese
• Whey-based spirits
• Unpasteurised dairy
• Farm visitor experiences
• Island pork products

Headquarters

HQ city

Tobermory

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese Sales: Sale of award-winning Isle of Mull Traditional Farmhouse Cheese and Hebridean Blue cheese through direct online shop, on-site farm shop, and wholesale to specialty retailers across the UK.
2. Whey Spirit Sales: Sale of whey-based spirits including Sgriob-ruadh Premium Whey Vodka, Coo J'N Premium Whey Gin, and Cheesemakers Strength Premium Whey Vodka through the same direct and wholesale channels.
3. Island Pork and Value-Added Products: Small-scale pork unit producing sausages, dry cure bacon, black pudding, hams, and roasting joints from pigs fed on whey and biscuits from Island Bakery. Sold in the on-site farm shop and across the island.
4. Farm Tours and Visitor Experience: Revenue from ticketed farm, dairy, and distillery tours booked via the online shop. The Glass Barn café provides additional on-site revenue from food and beverage sales.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Isle of Mull Cheese is a family-run dairy farm producing award-winning unpasteurised Scottish farmhouse cheese (Isle of Mull Traditional Farmhouse Cheese and Hebridean Blue) and a unique range of whey-based spirits (Sgriob-ruadh Premium Whey Vodka, Coo J'N Premium Whey Gin, and Cheesemakers Strength Premium Whey Vodka) made from the sweet whey by-product of cheesemaking. The company also produces small-scale island pork products and operates The Glass Barn farm shop and café alongside bookable farm, dairy, and distillery tours.

Product overview

Isle of Mull Cheese operates as a family-run dairy farm and food producer on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. The core product portfolio centres on three cheese varieties (Isle of Mull Traditional Farmhouse Cheese, Hebridean Blue) and three whey-based spirits (Sgriob-ruadh Premium Whey Vodka, Coo J'N Premium Whey Gin, Cheesemakers Strength Premium Whey Vodka), all produced from milk from their own closed dairy herd. Secondary offerings include Sgriob-Ruadh Island Pork and by-products from their circular economy model. Visitor experiences are provided through The Glass Barn Cafe & Shop and farm/distillery tours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Isle of Mull Traditional Farmhouse Cheese: Award-winning traditional Scottish farmhouse cheese made from unpasteurised milk
• Hebridean Blue
• Sgriob-ruadh Premium Whey Vodka
• Coo J'N Premium Whey Gin
• Cheesemakers Strength Premium Whey Vodka
• Sgriob-Ruadh Island Pork

Products and services

• Isle of Mull Traditional Farmhouse Cheese

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% renewable energy self-sufficiency — electricity and heating entirely generated on-site through hydro-electric (180kW), wind (65kW), and wood chip biomass
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tobermory DistillerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTobermory Distillery (nearby on the Isle of Mull) supplies draff (spent barley grains) from its whisky production, which the farm uses as winter feed for its dairy cattle. This is a long-standing, reciprocal relationship that forms part of the farm's circular economy.
• Island BakerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Joe Reade (youngest of the four Reade brothers), Island Bakery is a family-connected biscuit company on the Isle of Mull. Isle of Mull Cheese stocks Island Bakery biscuits (including oatcakes ideal for serving with cheese) in the Glass Barn farm shop. Additionally, Island Bakery's broken biscuits are used as pig feed, and the farm's surplus renewable electricity powers Island Bakery.
• National GridminorOthersSurplus electricity from the farm's 180kW hydro-electric scheme (approximately 50% more than the farm uses) is exported to the national grid. The farm also exports surplus electricity to power the nearby Island Bakery.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sharpham Estate: Devon multi-product family estate producing cheese, wine, and cider with visitor experiences and a cafe. Comparable as a vertically-integrated artisan farm operation with diversified revenue streams and a direct-to-consumer focus.
• Quicke's: Devon-based family-owned cheesemaker producing traditional clothbound and modern farmhouse cheddar from their own dairy herd using raw and pasteurised milk. Highly comparable as a vertically-integrated multi-generational UK family farm with farm shop, cafe, and tours.
• Stichelton Dairy: Nottinghamshire-based producer of raw milk Stilton-style blue cheese using milk from a single farm. Closely comparable in raw milk cheesemaking with farm-driven provenance and small-batch artisan positioning.
• Fen Farm Dairy: Suffolk family farm producing Baron Bigod raw milk brie-style cheese from their own Montbéliarde herd. Closely comparable as a UK family farm making raw milk artisan cheese with on-site processing and a visitor experience.
• Hafod Cheese: Welsh artisan farmhouse cheddar made by Holden Farm Dairy from their own Ayrshire cow herd using traditional methods. Comparable as a UK artisan farmhouse cheesemaker with farm-driven provenance and a raw milk approach.
• Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese: Lincolnshire-based artisan farmhouse cheddar producer using milk from their own dairy herd. Comparable as a UK family farmhouse cheesemaker producing premium traditional cheese from a known herd.

Broad incumbents

• Cropwell Bishop Creamery: Long-established UK Stilton manufacturer in Nottinghamshire producing premium blue cheese at a larger commercial scale. Comparable as a UK specialty blue cheese producer but operates at materially larger scale and as a more established brand with broader distribution.

Others

• Neal's Yard Dairy: London-based specialist cheese retailer, wholesaler, and affineur for British and Irish artisan farmhouse cheeses. Adjacent channel partner and customer of Isle of Mull Cheese, distributing its cheeses and serving the same premium artisan consumer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/isleofmullcheese
• Instagraminstagram.com/isle_of_mull_cheese/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isle-of-mull-cheese

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Isle of Mull Cheese