Cheesemaker sells up after huge Brexit costs leaves firm ‘unviable’

Simon Spurrell has sold his cheese business (Image: Simon Spurrell)A cheesemaker has sold his business after he says huge costs caused by Brexit left the firm “unviable”.Simon Spurrell will retain a stake in Cheshire Cheese Company, which he co-founded, after selling it to another cheese producer, Joseph Heler.Mr Spurrell said that the government’s failure to negotiate a health certificate for cheese companies hit his business overnight after the UK withdrew from the EU.The lack of certificate has allegedly impacted how cheese is sold online to EU customers.The entrepreneur has previously said Brexit directly cost his company £250,000.Earlier this year, he told Cheshire Live: “In 2020, I told the government they had not come up with an agreement not in any shape or form. There was no allowance for the consumers of these countries to actually buy cheese from the United Kingdom any longer.”You can’t buy cheese in the EU without a health certificate. The health certificates are £180 and have to be signed off by a veterinary surgeon. That’s regardless if it’s one block of cheese or one tonne. It takes about four hours to complete the paperwork for the health certificate.”Our consumer market was destroyed overnight as we used to sell to Italy, France and Germany in particular. That went completely, with 60 parcels returned in January of the first week. The government could not tell us why parcels were returned. DHL/DPD couriers have no idea because they said it must be teething problems.”I appeared many times on German national TV and was told by several politicians that Boris Johnson referred to me as ‘that bloody cheese man’. If nothing else in life, I’ve achieved annoying him – so I am very proud of that one.”Joseph Heler, based in Nantwich, Cheshire, has operations across central Europe, which, it has said, will re-open markets to the Cheshire Cheese Company that Brexit made “unviable”.Despite the Brexit hit, the firm’s new owner said the company had seen a 400 per cent growth in its revenue since 2019.All of its head office, production and warehouse staff will be retained while 14 additional full and part-time jobs will be created.George Heler, group managing director of Joseph Heler, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the Cheshire Cheese Company to the Heler Group. It has a fantastic product and has worked hard to grow a loyal following across the UK.”Cheshire Cheese Company’s wealth of experience and expertise will provide plentiful synergies which is very exciting.”Together, we’re confident we can extend its reach across the UK and Europe.”