Yester Farm Dairies Becomes Finalist for National Diversification Award
Yester Farm Dairies, operated by the McCreery family near Gifford, is among the three finalists for the Farmers Weekly Diversification Farmer of the Year award. The winner is due to be announced at the Farmers Weekly Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Thursday.
The category is sponsored by Jeremy Clarkson’s Hawkstone beer brand. It recognises farming businesses that add value to their core operations through diversification. Yester Farm Dairies is competing against Balmaud Distillery in Aberdeenshire and Penllyn Estate Farm in Wales.
Simon McCreery, who runs the business with his wife Jackie, said the family was pleased to receive the recognition. He said the company had developed from selling its own milk locally to processing milk from its farm and other nearby dairy farms into products sold throughout the United Kingdom and in Europe.
The business began its diversification programme in 2003, when the McCreerys started selling branded milk directly to consumers and retail outlets. Processing and bottling were initially handled externally. In 2007, the family installed its own pasteurisation plant, and in 2015 it converted a grain shed into a soft-cheese factory. By 2018, the operation had moved fully to soft-cheese production.
Yester Farm Dairies now makes cottage cheese, soft cheese, Greek-style yoghurt, crème fraîche and soured cream. Its dairy includes 300 cows, while cereals grown on the farm are used to feed the herd. All milk produced on site is processed into finished goods, and the company also buys milk from four family-run dairy farms.
Weekly output is about 75 tonnes of dairy products, representing a 200% increase from the previous year. The products are sold through several major UK retailers and wholesalers. Yester was the first Scottish cheese exported to Spain and is also sold in Spanish supermarkets.
Farmers Weekly judges described the company’s expansion and growth plans as “very impressive” and highlighted its ability to adapt and diversify in response to changing market requirements. The McCreerys plan to raise weekly production to at least 150 tonnes in 2027, while also examining further export opportunities and ways to obtain additional value from dairy production. The 2026 Farmers Weekly Awards feature finalists in 14 categories.
