Wensleydale Creamery Milk Tanker Drivers Keep Calm And Truck On To Battle Snow Drifts In The Dales

Milk tanker drivers and farmers have united to keep local roads and farm lanes clear of snow and ice, continuing daily collections of milk as normal from surrounding Dales’ farms to ensure a daily milk supply for cheese production despite the big freeze.

Rob Shuttleworth, one of The Creamery’s milk tanker drivers, who lives at Ingleton, in particular went above and beyond to reach farmers on his morning milk collection in the Dales at the weekend. Setting off on his normal route to Hawes, he became stuck at Ingleton. Not to be beaten, he attempted an alternative route through Sedbergh and saw heavy amounts of snow in Garsdale too. Committed to reaching the local farmers, Rob went that extra mile by borrowing a tractor to make it to Hawes to start collecting milk from around Wensleydale.

Stuart Cornthwaite, Managing Director at SJ Bargh, who employees Rob as a relief driver to collect milk for the Creamery, said: “We’ve seen an unprecedented amount of snow this year up in the Dales and we’ve been working hard to ensure work continues as normal demonstrating our commitment to the farmers and The Wensleydale Creamery.”

Based at Hawes in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, The Wensleydale Creamery’s family of farmers have also worked exceptionally hard during the lengthy cold spell, keeping roads and their farm lanes accessible for the milk tanker drivers to collect milk and keep cheese production going despite the drifting snow and ice.  

David Hartley, Managing Director of The Wensleydale Creamery, said: “We are extremely proud and grateful for the work carried out by Rob and the team of milk tanker drivers at SJ Bargh, for not only keep us in a good supply of milk, but also ensuring not a drop of our farmers’ quality milk is wasted. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them and all our farmers in the Dales who have continued to work hard, as they always do, despite the severe weather, to keep us in a healthy supply of milk for our cheese.”