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Pilgrims Choice is a cheese brand owned by Irish dairy exporter Ornua, with UK operations based in Leek, Staffordshire. Despite an Identification Code of UK LK002, Pilgrims Choice is substantially sourced from Irish-produced cheese. The company packs include Mature Cheddar, Mature Lighter and Extra Mature Cheddar.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ornua (formerly Adams Foods Ltd and the North Downs Dairy) |
| UK operations base | Leek, Staffordshire |
| Identification Code | UK LK002 |
| Sourced from | Irish-produced cheese |
| Brand name origin | Pilgrims' Way, a route driven by founder David Hardisty daily on his way to Wincanton |
| Launch date | 1999 |
| Packaging | Trademark black packaging |
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What You'll Learn
Pilgrims Choice is owned by Irish dairy exporter Ornua
Pilgrims Choice is a cheese brand owned by Irish dairy exporter Ornua (formerly Adams Foods Ltd and the North Downs Dairy). Despite an Identification Code of UK LK002, Pilgrims Choice is substantially sourced from Irish-produced cheese. The company packs include Mature Cheddar, Mature Lighter and Extra Mature Cheddar. Pilgrims Choice was founded by David Hardisty, the founder of North Downs Dairy, in 1985, and was bought by the Irish Dairy Board in 1997. The company's brand name comes from the route known as Pilgrims' Way, which Hardisty drove down daily on his way to Wincanton. The brand was launched onto the retail market in 1999 as a pre-packaged cheese in its trademark black packaging.
The cheese is made in the UK and Ireland. In 2024, Adams Foods announced that it would "effectively halve" the number of creameries it uses to make Pilgrims Choice mature and extra mature by stopping sourcing from Australia and New Zealand. This move was made as part of a fresh focus on "consistent quality and taste". Ornua produces and packs butter and cheese into a range of formats, including blocks, grated and slices, which are then sold in major supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Iceland, as branded or own-label cheese.
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The company's operations are based in Leek, Staffordshire
Pilgrims Choice is a cheese brand owned by Irish dairy exporter Ornua (formerly Adams Foods Ltd and the North Downs Dairy). Despite an Identification Code of UK LK002, Pilgrims Choice is substantially sourced from Irish-produced cheese. The company's UK operations are based in Leek, Staffordshire.
The company packs include Mature Cheddar, Mature Lighter and Extra Mature Cheddar. Pilgrims Choice was founded by David Hardisty, the founder of North Downs Dairy, in 1985, and was bought by the Irish Dairy Board in 1997. The brand name comes from the route known as Pilgrims' Way, which Hardisty drove down daily on his way to Wincanton.
The brand Pilgrims Choice was launched onto the retail market in 1999 as a pre-packaged cheese in its trademark black packaging. Pilgrims Choice Farmhouse Vintage Extra Mature then became Britain's fastest-growing Protected Designated Origin West Country farmhouse cheddar brand, with sales of more than £20 million by the year 2000.
In 2024, Adams Foods announced that it would "effectively halve" the number of creameries it uses to make Pilgrims Choice mature and extra mature by stopping sourcing from Australia and New Zealand for these variants. The move to UK and Irish-sourced cheese was made as part of a fresh focus on "consistent quality and taste".
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The brand was founded by David Hardisty in 1985
Pilgrims Choice is a cheese brand owned by Irish dairy exporter Ornua (formerly Adams Foods Ltd and the North Downs Dairy). The brand was founded by David Hardisty in 1985, who also founded North Downs Dairy. The name Pilgrims Choice comes from the route known as Pilgrims' Way, which Hardisty drove down daily on his way to Wincanton.
The company's UK operations are based in Leek, Staffordshire, but despite an Identification Code of UK LK002, Pilgrims Choice is substantially sourced from Irish-produced cheese. The company packs include Mature Cheddar, Mature Lighter and Extra Mature Cheddar.
Pilgrims Choice was bought by the Irish Dairy Board in 1997, and was launched onto the retail market in 1999 as a pre-packaged cheese in its trademark black packaging. The brand's Farmhouse Vintage Extra Mature Cheddar became Britain's fastest-growing Protected Designated Origin West Country farmhouse cheddar brand, with sales of more than £20 million by the year 2000.
In 2024, Adams Foods announced that it would be reducing the number of creameries used to make Pilgrims Choice mature and extra mature cheese, and would stop sourcing from Australia and New Zealand for these variants. The decision to switch to UK and Irish supply was made as part of a fresh focus on "consistent quality and taste".
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It was bought by the Irish Dairy Board in 1997
Pilgrims Choice is a cheese brand owned by Irish dairy exporter Ornua (formerly Adams Foods Ltd and the North Downs Dairy). The company was founded by David Hardisty, the founder of North Downs Dairy, in 1985, and was bought by the Irish Dairy Board in 1997.
Despite an Identification Code of UK LK002, Pilgrims Choice is substantially sourced from Irish-produced cheese. The company's UK operations are based in Leek, Staffordshire, and its brand name comes from the route known as Pilgrims' Way, which Hardisty drove down daily on his way to Wincanton.
The brand was launched onto the retail market in 1999 as a pre-packaged cheese in its trademark black packaging. Pilgrims Choice Farmhouse Vintage Extra Mature then became Britain's fastest-growing Protected Designated Origin West Country farmhouse cheddar brand, with sales of more than £20 million by the year 2000.
In recent years, Ornua has introduced more environmentally friendly, fully recyclable packaging for its Pilgrims Choice brand, delivering a 48% carbon footprint reduction and a 15% material saving compared to the old pack.
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The brand name comes from the route known as Pilgrims' Way
Pilgrims Choice is a cheese brand owned by Irish dairy exporter Ornua (formerly Adams Foods Ltd and the North Downs Dairy). Despite an Identification Code of UK LK002, Pilgrims Choice is substantially sourced from Irish-produced cheese. The company packs include Mature Cheddar, Mature Lighter and Extra Mature Cheddar.
In 2024, Adams Foods announced it would "effectively halve" the number of creameries it uses to make Pilgrims Choice mature and extra mature by stopping sourcing from Australia and New Zealand. The move to UK and Irish-sourced cheese was made as part of a fresh focus on "consistent quality and taste". Ornua, the company that produces and packs Pilgrims Choice, has also introduced more environmentally-friendly, fully recyclable packaging for the brand, delivering a 48% carbon footprint reduction and a 15% material saving compared to the old packaging.
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Frequently asked questions
Pilgrims Choice cheese is made in the UK and Ireland.
Pilgrims Choice is owned by Irish dairy exporter Ornua.
Pilgrims Choice was launched in 1999.
