Feasibility Study for Norseland
Facility Upgrade

Overview

Norseland UK engaged Willett Food Projects (WFP) to help improve production efficiency at their Ilchester site. The goals included boosting cheese output by at least 20% and upgrading staff welfare and office areas. Central to the brief was consolidating operations into a single, streamlined facility. WFP was appointed to deliver a full feasibility study, exploring development options to meet these objectives.

Client

Norseland

Project budget

The study examined several scalable development strategies. Investment ranged between £15 million and £22 million, depending on the option selected.

Project delivery

WFP was tasked with identifying and evaluating development options within the current UK site. Each route was assessed against:

• Capital cost
• Programme duration
• Potential production uplift
• Associated project risks

The aim was to equip Norseland’s senior leadership team with clear, evidence-based investment options.

Three viable development paths were identified, each meeting the brief. Importantly, South Somerset Council responded favourably to the proposed concepts, suggesting planning approval was likely. This early planning engagement gave the study credibility and helped guide internal decision making.

Project timeline

WFP completed the feasibility study within 8 weeks. This was followed by 2 months of pre-planning discussions with South Somerset Council. Early engagement with local planners allowed the team to factor in both physical and planning constraints, improving the robustness of the proposed solutions.

Conclusion

The outcome was a clear shortlist of three workable development options. Two of these stood out, offering a strong balance between increased production, achievable timelines, and manageable risk. Norseland is now reviewing these proposals. The next step will be to begin the detailed design phase, with WFP continuing to support this strategically important food facility.