July 29, 2022
Ornua Foods UK, previously Adams Foods, has been present in Leek for 100-years this year. As part of the Leek-based cheese packing business’s centenary celebrations, it has been planning and running a variety of activities to engage the local community in helping recognise its landmark anniversary.
In May, Ornua reached out to local middle-schools across the Staffordshire Moorlands and invited students to take part in designing the packaging for a special, celebratory, Centenary Cheese. After much debate and deliberation, Director of Brands, Kerry Alexander and members of the Ornua Foods team chose the winner as 10-year-old Ellie Milward of St Edward’s Middle School in Leek. Not only will Ellie’s design appear on the Centenary Cheese pack but also the prize included Ellie and her parents having a VIP visit to Ornua’s state-of-the-art production facility on Sunnyhills Road to see it being packed by members of the 750-strong workforce.
The Centenary Cheese will be sold at this year’s Leek & District Show which took place on Saturday 30th July and all proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Community Foundation for Staffordshire’s ‘We Love the Moorlands’ Community Fund. The Fund supports charities and groups across the Staffordshire Moorlands, a place that Ornua is proud to be part of. Alongside this, Ornua also ran a number of cheese grading masterclasses on its show stand throughout the day. This gave visitors to the Show the opportunity to understand more about cheese, its different tastes, textures and strengths and what to look out for when they’re next in the supermarket!
Kerry Alexander, Ornua Foods UK’s Director of Brands said: “We all felt that Ellie’s design was ‘really grate!’ and that it was a very worthy winner of our Centenary Cheese competition. As one of the largest employers in the region, we’re extremely proud of our long-established links with Leek and the Staffordshire Moorlands, and the positive role we believe we play in its social and economic well-being. We therefore wanted not only to celebrate our centenary but in doing so engage with the local community and especially its young people.”
In addition to its Centenary Cheese design competition, over the next few months, Ornua Foods will also be working with the two high schools in Leek, as well as a variety of primary schools to welcome in students to give them an insight into the business and its two iconic dairy brands, the UK’s No2. Cheddar brand Pilgrims Choice and Kerrygold butter.