Alvis Brothers Ltd

Since 1952 three generations of the Alvis family have been dedicated to making the highest quality cheddar cheese on the family farm situated at the foot of the Mendip Hills, only a few miles from the village of Cheddar – the original home of Cheddar Cheese Making.

Alvis Bros Ltd is the leading UK Organic cheese producer and one of the West Country’s finest Farmhouse Cheddar Cheesemakers offering a full range of organic cheddar and UK territorial cheeses under the prestigious Lye Cross Farm Organic brand, together with West Country Farmhouse Cheddar and Traditional Farmhouse cheeses under the Lye Cross brand.

The Alvis Family business has grown steadily; the cheese making is supported by more than 1,000 milking cows on three dairy farms supplying over 7 million litres of milk per year to the Cheese Dairy. The milk from the family’s own farms, together with milk from other farms, is used to produce annually over 2,500 tonnes of organic cheese and nearly 1,000 tonnes of conventional cheddar cheese in the dairy. Traditional methods and skills such as “cheddaring” - the age-old process of turning and stacking the curd by hand - are used together with modern technology to produce cheese under strictly controlled hygienic conditions. A strict quality assurance scheme monitors the cheese making process from milk production on the farms through to dispatch of the finished product. The cheese is matured under carefully controlled conditions for between three and eighteen months and sold via retailers large and small and wholesalers, as well as in the Farm Shop.

From our pasture to your plate.

Animal Welfare

Only contented animals can realise their full potential. To achieve this, maximum use is made of naturally grazed grass for the cattle throughout the growing season and as much other home produced feed as possible. Alvis Bros take pride in the animals and the countryside in which the business operates so use only the inputs that are really necessary and take the view that whatever is done needs to be sustainable and has a positive impact for future generations.

Alvis Bros Ltd is also committed to help bridge the gap between food production and the consumer, particularly in the field of educating children and is pleased to be associated with FarmLink.

John Alvis - Managing Director of Alvis Bros (pictured below) and the founder of FarmLink says “At last the vision of every child having the opportunity to have a real understanding of the countryside, its importance and work is more than just a dream”. FarmLink is building on the Alvis aspiration of every consumer understanding where their food comes from and the impact their purchasing decision has on the environment, the animals and the people looking after the animals and land.