Sale success sees new life for traditional cheese equipment

Wed 09 Nov 2022

Equipment from a former dairy in Leicestershire will be given a new lease of life in being reused and repurposed for a number of original and creative uses across the country following a successful dispersal sale by Shouler & Son.

Following the retirement of the owners of Websters Stilton Dairy in Saxelbye, Melton Mowbray, Shouler & Son held an online auction of specialist cheesemaking equipment and associated dairy kit over a five day period at the end of last month.

Publicity for the sale - which included contact with members of the Specialist Cheesemakers Association - attracted serious interest with 64 registered bidders making nearly 1,300 bids.

Over 90 per cent of the available lots were sold by the auction deadline. Lots included stainless steel bulk tanks, pasteurising machinery, chillers and maturing racks among an extensive range of other high quality items.

While most of the successful 28 bidders were involved in conventional cheese or dairy businesses, others will be putting their newly acquired equipment to non-traditional uses.

A bidder from Wales bought a number of pieces for a new artisan cheesemaking venture. Whereas an established cheesemaker from Cumbria is going to be making tofu in the steam boiler equipment purchased.

A farming neighbour of Websters Stilton Dairy secured a five metre cheese settlement tank to use as a paddling pool for the grandchildren.

And a large pallet of solid oak cheeseboards, dating back 50 years, will be finding a new home as parquet-style flooring in a London property.

Robert Bloomfield, Partner, Shouler & Son, who led the successful sale, said, “High quality equipment from a dairy of such repute was always going to appeal to those in the trade.

“However, the combined creativity and practicality of operators involved in the modern salvage business is always going to be in play too in today’s rural auction setting.”

For more information on Shouler & Son’s rural auction services, see shoulers.co.uk/pages/onsite-and-online-sales.