A Shepton Mallet resident has won her case of pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal against local cheesemaker, White Lake Cheese.

Located at Bagborough Farm in Pylle the company called the employee into an 'ambush meeting' where she was demoted to a lesser role with decreased pay after revealing her pregnancy.

The employee, Storm Botha, initially took on the role of cheese-making assistant in September 2020, and later transitioned to the office where she was responsible for marketing duties.

Her situation changed dramatically after she revealed her pregnancy to her manager. Soon after, she was summoned to an 'ambush' meeting, demoted to a lesser role, and her salary cut from £11 to £9.50 per hour.

Roger Longman, the CEO and owner of White Lake Cheese, maintained he was unaware of Botha's pregnancy at the time of her demotion.

However, the tribunal found otherwise, stating that Longman had prior knowledge of her pregnancy before making his decision.

The tribunal also revealed that the company failed to conduct any risk assessments to ascertain whether the new role—characterised by heavy lifting of cheeses—would be safe for a pregnant woman.

Botha miscarried in November 2021 and was dismissed in December.

Employment Judge Martha Street concluded that Botha was treated unfairly "on the grounds of pregnancy," and a hearing to determine Botha's compensation will be held at a later date.