Cheese experts named regional champions

Member of Parliament for Telford Shaun Davies welcomed Telford-based Bridge Cheese to Parliament as part of the Food and Drink Federation’s ‘MPs’ Choice’ Food and Drink Manufacturer of the Year awards.

Following his nomination, Bridge Cheese were named West Midlands Regional Champions after they were shortlisted for the national final. 

The Bridge Cheese team was presented with a certificate and the opportunity to meet the Minister for Food and Rural Affairs, Dame Angela Eagle MP, at the awards ceremony and reception in Parliament.

The awards aimed to celebrate small and medium-sized food and drink companies who have demonstrated excellence in growth and innovation, commitment to sustainability and contribution to the local community.

In his nomination of Bridge Cheese, Shaun Davies paid tribute to their range of reduced-cost cheese alternatives to help the food sector tackle rising business costs; their forward-thinking move to WhatsApp for communication with customers outside of office hours; their collaboration with a local business to recycle and repurpose their equipment and promote sustainability.

They were also recognised for their work in the Telford community, including their participation in the Care Leavers’ Covenant, their donations to equipment for local schools and their support for Shaun's charity Christmas card, helping raise funds for the Lingen Davies Sunflower Campaign and Telford’s first-ever cancer treatment centre.

Shaun said: “Bridge Cheese is a brilliant Telford-based business and really deserves this West Midlands recognition. They’re a forward-thinking company, leading the way on lots of initiatives, and a great example of how a local business can succeed globally while still supporting the Telford economy. It was fantastic to attend the event with them and celebrate some of the very best businesses our town has to offer.”

Michael Harte, director at Bridge Cheese, said: “We strive to prove that a business can have a global reach while remaining firmly rooted in our local area.

"Being acknowledged for both our product innovation and supporting the community in Telford is a testament to the culture our team has built. We are grateful to Shaun or his support and for championing the brilliant businesses that call this town home."

Pictured: from left, Michael Harte (director at Bridge Cheese), Martin Howden (director of operations at Bridge Cheese), Minister for Food and Rural Affairs Dame Angela Eagle and Shaun Davies