Sharpham Dairy is the first cheese dairy in the country to achieve the globally recognised B Corporation (B Corp) certification.

The award winning dairy has met the highest standards of social and environmental impact, putting people and planet up there with profit, says owner Greg Parsons.

Greg and his wife Nicky along with their production manager Peter Haworth, have been working towards the accreditation for nearly two years.

He said: “After almost two years of external scrutiny we are delighted to have received B Corp’s prestigious recognition.

“When we took over Sharpham Dairy in 2019, my wife Nicky and I set out to cultivate an ethical business that our team, suppliers, customers and retailers would be proud to be associated with.

"Throughout the B Corp process you look at things more forensically and you make decisions that are for good.

“It really encourages you to look at all elements and at how you can approach things differently."

B Corp measures a company’s entire social and environmental impact across five key impact areas - governance, workers, community, environment and customers.

The underlying commitment to ‘purpose beyond profit’ had to be legally embedded in Sharpham’s company articles for it to gain the certification.

.
Sharpham Dairy production manager Peter Haworth (.)

Greg continued: “Certification is proof that we care about our community, our team, our customers and our planet.

“But this is only the beginning. Being a B Corp recognises the positive impact we have now, but it also commits us to improvement.

“It gives us a framework to conduct business and to grow in a way which balances profit with purpose, and we are up for the challenge!”

Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sharpham Dairy to the B Corp community.

“This is a movement of companies who are committed to changing how business operates and believe business really can be a force for good.

“We know that they are going to be a fantastic addition to the community and will continue driving the conversation forward.

“We are pleased to have B Corps of all shapes and sizes as part of our community – from startups to multinationals and across many different industries.

“Business is a powerful force and B Corps demonstrate that you can do good in any sector.”