Richard Clothier

Managing Director, Wyke Farms

Richard Clothier represents the third generation of the Clothiers, a family who has been making cheddar on its Somerset farm since 1861. Today the Wyke Farms business turns over nearly £200 million and sells its premium cheddar and butter in over 160 countries across the world and is the only independent company in the top ten cheddar brands here in the UK, reflecting a strong consumer interest in provenance and sustainability.

Rich is passionate about the potential for UK food and farming exports in a growing world population. He has a vision for UK food and agriculture being able to meet the needs of the world's growing middle classes demand for dairy products, while minimizing the impact of the environment as much as possible. Rich was named as ‘International Export Ambassador of the Year’ in recognition of the scale and impact of Wyke Farms’ global business portfolio.

Rich is passionate about farming, the environment and branding. Wyke Farms developed a groundbreaking on-site renewable energy plant, which is the cornerstone to the Wyke Farms 100% Green mission and enabled the company to be the first UK grocery brand to be 100% self-sufficient in green energy.