Written by Alison Bellamy, photos by Robling Photography

Not many people work at the same place for life, but there is a huge team of loyal and dedicated people who have worked at Longley Farm for four decades and more.

The award-winning maker of natural dairy products, which has around 120 staff, was founded in Holmfirth in 1948.

Current owner Jimmy Dickinson, whose father Joseph and uncle Edgar co-founded the farm, said there are not many businesses which have such a long standing and loyal number of staff, truly making the operation a team effort.

He said: “Longley Farm would not be what it is today without the dedication and hard work of the many folk who have worked here over the years. The people recognised at our 2023 long-service awards have dedicated the best part of their careers to Longley Farm, and once you add me into the mix, the total length of service amounts to a thousand years.

Longley represents the collective effort of a host of individuals, with each leaving their own mark on the place; making it what it is today, and I am very grateful indeed for their loyalty and commitment.”

 Dianne Heppenstall has achieved 48 years' loyal service.

At retirement, Dianne was in charge of Health and Safety and had previously been the cottage cheese supervisor. She joined Longley Farm in 1973, finally leaving her office to retire in December 2021.

 

Jimmy said: “Dianne worked with us at Longley Farm for 48 years. Along with many family members, including both her mother and father, she started in cottage cheese; right from the beginning of, what was then, a very new product. She later put all her practical experience to good use by taking charge of Health and Safety at the dairy.

“To say that I’m grateful is an understatement, when talking about the contribution made by Dianne to Longley Farm.”

David Hinchliffe, worked at Longley, and then Tyers Hall Farm, in Barnsley, from 1977 to 2021, clocking up 44 years.

Jimmy said: “David started looking after our pigs when he was just sixteen and four days old. He carried on for the next 44 years, until deciding to take early retirement and spend more time on his passion for travel and exploring new horizons. Loyal, dependable and a real friend to the family, Dave has done an outstanding job, for which I’m truly grateful.”

Dianne and David are two of the many current and former staff who were thanked and given a certificate and gift for their long service.

A total of 26 staff were honoured at the event, which also celebrated 75 years in business of Longley Farm.

Jimmy added: “We are all in it together. As well as the people at Longley, there are the farms that send us milk, including our own at Tyers Hall and there are the drivers that keep everything moving . It’s a global community with staff in Australia and Uruguay and customers from South America to the Far East. 

For 75 years, we’ve built a business on honesty, reliability, quality and service. Some say we’ve been successful; I would say that we’ve simply stuck to the basics and respected our customers.”

 

The long service awards presented to staff:

 

Retirees

Dianne Heppenstall – Health and Safety Manager (formerly Cottage Cheese Supervisor)
1973 – 2021
48 years

 

David Hinchliffe – Pig Keeper, Tyers Hall Farm
1977 – 2021
44 years

 

40 years +

Steven Cooper – Van Sales Driver; formerly Cottage Cheese Department
45 years
1978 – 2023

 
Johnny Spitfire Lee – Cream department
44 years
1979 – 2023

 
Michael Wilson – Fleet Manager
44 years
1979 – 2023

 
David Boyers – Box room; formerly Yogurt Department
44 years
1979 - 2023

Sam Lawton – Head of Engineering; formerly Laboratory, Butter and Cream Departments
40 years
1983 – 2023

 
Adrian Hill – Warehouse; formerly Butter department
40 years
1983 – 2023

 
Gary Tinker - IT consultant
47 years
1976 – 2023
 
25 years +

Melanie Abbott – Yogurt and Cream Departments
37 years
1986 – 2023

Mandy Hinchliffe – Cottage Cheese Department; formerly Manager of Longley’s Ice Cream and Coffee shop, Ice Cream Maker; Fromage Frais and Yogurt Departments 
36 years
1987 – 2023

 
Charlie Morris – Cottage Cheese Supervisor
36 years
1987 – 2023

 
Mark ‘Robbo’ Robinson – Milk Reception and Despatch
36 years
1987 – 2023

 
Andrew Clayton – Cream Maker
35 years
1988 – 2023

 
Helen Dawson – Laboratory, Box Room and Fridge Department
35 years
1988 – 2023

 
Chris McNulty – Van Sales Driver (joined from Ivan Wharton's)
35 years
1988 – 2023

 
Nick Dee – Yogurt Production and IT support
34 years
1989 – 2023

 

Jane Dawson – Fruit Department Supervisor
34 years
1986 – 2020

Simon Whiteley – Fruit department, formerly Cottage Cheese and Fridge departments
33 years
1990 – 2023

 
Rachel Bray – Technical Assistant, formerly Cottage Cheese Supervisor
33 years
1990 – 2023

 
Frankie Lee – Cleaner; formerly Freezing Department
33 years
1990 – 2023

 
Joanne Bedford – Cottage Cheese Supervisor
32 years
1991 – 2023

 
Eric Marsden - Pig Farmer, Tyers Hall Farm
32 years
1991 – 2023

 
Megan Dawson – Box room
31 years
1989 - 2020
 
Jonathan Bray – Milk Reception and Despatch and Tanker Driver
31 years
1990 – 2002
2003 – 2023

Rachel Liles – Farm Liaison Officer, formerly Laboratory Supervisor
29 years
1994 – 2023