UK Export Finance confirmed on 30 December 2025 that Rich Clothier, managing director of Wyke Farms, has been named in the King’s New Year Honours List 2026 for services to sustainable agriculture and food production. The agency said it nominated Clothier, underscoring the link it sees between export performance and credible green investment in food manufacturing.

For readers less familiar with the Somerset producer: UKEF describes Wyke Farms as the UK’s largest independent cheese maker, with products reaching customers in more than 160 countries. The business powers its operations from on‑site solar and biogas, while UKEF also notes around 360 employees in Somerset and a cheesemaking heritage dating back to 1861.

UKEF chief executive Tim Reid called the award thoroughly deserved and framed Clothier as a third‑generation cheesemaker blending local craft with modern sustainability. The message is clear for would‑be exporters in food and drink: strong regional roots can sit comfortably alongside global growth.

The wider backdrop is a busier export‑finance pipeline. In 2024/25, UKEF reports £14.5bn of business supported (up from £8.8bn in 2023/24), assistance to 667 exporters, and 74% of them SMEs. It also launched an online portal to streamline credit insurance applications-useful operational plumbing that shortens time to cash for smaller firms.

Those gains build on 2023/24, when UKEF supported 650 exporters, including 336 SMEs, with an estimated 41,000 UK jobs supported. The agency also flagged £60bn capacity to back exports and a £51.6bn maximum annual exposure-headroom that matters for manufacturers facing long working‑capital cycles.

Wyke’s own financing history shows how this works in practice. In November 2022, UKEF and Barclays provided a facility to finance cheddar stock as milk costs surged, keeping export growth on track while easing cash‑flow strain. It’s a straightforward example of government‑guaranteed working capital aligned to real demand.

For SMEs weighing options, UKEF’s General Export Facility is often the entry point. It offers an 80% government guarantee to a bank for facilities typically up to £25m with repayment terms up to five years, and it doesn’t need to be tied to a single export contract-subject to export‑revenue thresholds.

Larger balance‑sheet needs can fit the Export Development Guarantee, which backs loans from £25m with an 80% guarantee, generally up to five years-or up to ten when the borrowing develops clean‑growth exports. A recent example is the £1bn facility for Ford UK announced in July 2025.

A practical takeaway for finance directors: UKEF works through banks rather than lending directly. Map your export share over the last three years, assemble a 12‑month order pipeline and show how extra liquidity converts into shipments, then speak to your lender’s trade team or an approved UKEF partner. The Wyke Farms story shows that clear plans and credible sustainability can sit alongside global growth.