February 2023

The 482nd Meeting was held at Badgemore Park on the 14th February 2023.

The Chairman welcomed the guest speaker and visiting guests to the meeting, and reports were provided to the meeting by the Chairman, Treasurer and Fellowship Secretary.

Patrick Heathcote Amery. Photo copyright Henley Men's Probus Club.

The guest speaker was Patrick Heathcote Amery who is Production Director of the Nettlebed Creamery, based at the Cheese Shed, High Street, Nettlebed.

Patrick outlined the development of Nettlebed Creamery since its start up in Nettlebed in 2014 as a privately owned business.

Patrick’s talk covered the many issues associated with the manufacture of hard and soft cheeses and the development of the associated supply chain leading to the winning of a World Cheese Award and a British Cheese Award.

He went on to describe the difficult COVID period and how the company had to adapt its approach to business to survive this very challenging environment.

Today, Nettlebed Creamery employs c 50 people and has annual sales of c £1m.

The Chairman thanked Patrick for his fascinating presentation which was warmly appreciated by the members.