CHEESEMAKER Somerdale International has appointed a new general manager as the Wellington-based company looks to launch a range of ‘tastebud tantalising’ new products in 2026.

Di Henderson has spent the last 15 years in Sydney working with Mayers Fine Food, which is Somerdale’s Australian distributor.

Ms Henderson will oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring strategic goals are achieved and the business continues to deliver financially, commercially, and operationally.

She will also act as a link between Somerdale and parent company Barbers, the renowned Somerset Farmhouse cheesemaker, which acquired the business in 2023.

Somerdale is a leading UK exporter of British cheese and enjoyed a strong 2025 from a trading perspective.

The company will also be significantly increasing the capacity and capabilities of its main distribution hub with installation of new, state-of-the-art, refrigerated warehousing underway.

Ms Henderson said: “I am thrilled to be joining Somerdale at such as exciting time in its growth and development.

“In my new role I am looking forward to continuing the Somerdale success story by blending my love for people, strategy, and of course great tasting cheese.”

The Somerdale team will be showcasing a range of its finest classic and contemporary British and Irish cheeses to existing and new customers from across the globe next month.

The firm will be attending one of the world’s largest food and drink trade shows, Anuga, in Cologne, Germany, from October 4 to 8.

Somerdale is now in its 36th year and exports 250 British cheeses to more than 50 countries worldwide, and is the largest exporter of British cheese to the USA with shipments leaving for New York every week.

It has also grown in key markets such as China and the Far East, Europe, the Caribbean, and Australia, and in emerging markets including the Middle East, North Africa, and South East Asia.