Appleby Creamery is aiming to support its traditional manufacturing processes and make its products even more sustainable through the use of Internet of Things technology.
In collaboration with CENSIS – the innovation delivery organisation for digitalisation and enabling technologies – the system has been designed and deployed to monitor energy use and temperatures across the creamery’s Eden Valley site.
Producing cheese requires consistent temperatures and humidity levels at different stages of the process to maintain product quality and safety.
Prior to the installation of the IoT system, conditions in fridges and ripening rooms were checked and recorded manually during working hours.
The new system allows the Appleby Creamery team to monitor conditions remotely every 15 minutes, 24 hours per day, and sends real-time alerts if anomalies occur, allowing for a prompt response to prevent the risk of product spoilage.
The system also tracks the energy use of equipment throughout the cheese-making process – from fridges to pasteurisers – with the data displayed on a dashboard developed by CENSIS. This helps the creamery team to make decisions that could save energy and make better use of its on-site renewable sources.
Rolled out over two phases, the project will soon include the installation of sensors to track fuel gas usage and hot and cold water consumption. The data collected will not only enhance cost savings and sustainability, but also automate compliance reporting for metrics such as the creamery’s temperate and humidity.
Additionally, it will provide insights for scaling operations and attracting new investment. The sensing system is low-cost, easy to maintain, and can be readily relocated to monitor different areas of the site.
The initiative – delivered via CENSIS’s Milk Round technology accelerator – is part of the Digital Dairy Chain, a multi-partner project led by Scotland’s Rural College, which aims to transform the dairy processing supply chain in south and west Scotland, and Cumbria.
The project is funded by UK Research and Innovation’s flagship Strength in Places Fund.
Founded in 2007 by three former colleagues from Express Dairies, Appleby Creamery has grown to a team of 12, with plans for further expansion into Scotland and the south of England.
Sourcing its milk from Crofthead Dairy Farm in Dumfries and Galloway, the creamery’s cheeses – including brie, blue, and cheddar – can be bought from a range of retailers including Booth’s and Tebay Services Farm Shop.
Maurice Walton, owner of Appleby Creamery, said: “At first, we weren’t sure if integrating IoT was the right move – we weren’t sure the site was big enough to benefit from this type of technology or what kind of data we would need. But it’s really been a turning point for us.
“The system has exceeded our expectations in managing and fine-tuning our cheese-making processes, with the whole team involved in seeing how it can drive operational change for our business.
“We’re already seeing great improvements in quality and efficiency, and I’m excited to explore the additional data we can gather from other processes and equipment. Working with CENSIS has been a huge boost, and we’re looking forward to seeing how else the technology can help us keep making the cheeses our customers love.”
Rachael Wakefield, business development manager at CENSIS, said: “This project really showcases how traditional industries like artisan cheese-making can benefit from IoT and other enabling technologies.
“By retrofitting this system to existing equipment, we’re helping to turn data into actionable insights that enhance decision-making and help the team to explore data driven operational change at their own pace.
“Our aim is to inspire the broader dairy supply chain to embrace digital transformation, especially those at a similar stage as Appleby Creamery or considering lower-cost service options. We’ll be tracking the company’s progress and the impact of the system over time and look forward to sharing the findings. We’re thrilled to support Maurice and the team in demonstrating what’s possible.”
Stuart Martin, programme director for the Digital Dairy Chain, added: “Digital Dairy Chain is all about people, and how we can help improve and support their businesses.
“Projects such as this one with Appleby perfectly encapsulates what we are aiming to achieve by bringing cross-industry innovation and technology into the dairy sector to ensure sustainable production and processes. Having CENSIS as a partner has meant that businesses across the region could benefit from this type of technology retrofitting long into the future.”
