Exceptional cheese from the South of England

Farmhouse cheese made with milk from their own herd on the edge of the New Forest.

Lyburn Farm has been farmed by the Smales family for generations. The family's dairy story began in 1952 with just three Guernsey cows, before they moved to Lyburn Farm in 1969. Today, cheesemaking has become an important part of the farm, turning milk from their own herd into a distinctive collection of handmade cheeses.

Rather than producing traditional Cheddar, Lyburn developed its own more continental style of cheese. Their best-known creation, Old Winchester, is matured for around 18 months, producing a hard, dry and crystalline cheese with a wonderfully nutty character. It's often used as a British alternative to Parmesan, particularly as it's made using vegetarian rennet.

The cheese has earned an impressive reputation too — Old Winchester was named Best British Cheese at the World Cheese Awards, a fantastic achievement for this family-run Hampshire farm.

From cows grazing the surrounding farmland to cheesemaking, maturation and packing, the whole process remains closely connected to Lyburn Farm.

From the Farm: Old Winchester, Winchester, Lyburn Gold, Stoney Cross, Lightly Oak Smoked and Garlic & Nettle.

Award-winning artisan cheese from a family farm in the Sussex countryside.

High Weald Dairy’s story began in the late 1980s when Mark Hardy and his parents established a flock of 150 British Friesland sheep at their family farm. Faced with more sheep’s milk than they could sell, the family began experimenting — first with bottled milk and yoghurt, and then with cheese.

Today, Mark and his wife Sarah run High Weald Dairy at Tremains Farm in Horsted Keynes. Their small team produces an impressive range of artisan cheeses from cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk, with the whole cheesemaking process, from pasteurisation through to maturation and packaging, taking place on the farm.

The range has grown from its early sheep’s milk cheeses into some of Sussex’s best-known artisan cheeses. Brighton Blue has become a particular favourite, while Sussex Slipcote, Duddleswell and their continental-style cheeses demonstrate just how varied British cheesemaking can be.

Still very much a hands-on family business, High Weald combines more than three decades of cheesemaking experience with a willingness to keep experimenting and creating something new.

From the Dairy: Brighton Blue, Sussex Slipcote, Duddleswell, Seven Sisters, St Giles, Sussex Marble, Ashdown Foresters, Sister Sarah and sheep’s milk Halloumi.

Award-winning British cheese with creativity at its heart.

Based in East Sussex, Alsop & Walker has been making artisan cheese since 2008. Cheesemaker Arthur Alsop combines traditional techniques with a contemporary approach, using milk sourced from local dairy farmers to create cheeses with real character and individuality.

Perhaps their best-known creation is Lord London, a distinctive bell-shaped, semi-soft cow’s milk cheese with a creamy texture and fresh citrus flavour. Created in honour of the London 2012 Olympics, it was also served at the Royal Wedding breakfast of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The range stretches from soft Brie and Camembert to blue, sheep’s milk and Alpine-style cheeses. Mayfield, with its creamy, sweet and nutty character, has achieved Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards, while Woodside Red was named Best New Cheese at the British Cheese Awards.

All of Alsop & Walker’s cheeses are made using vegetarian rennet, with Arthur’s willingness to experiment helping create a wonderfully varied collection of modern British cheeses.

From the Dairy: Lord London, Mayfield, Oak Smoked Mayfield, Sussex Blue, Sussex Brie, Sussex Camembert, Woodside Red, Idle Hour, Ewe Eat Me and Truffled Brie.

Creative artisan cheesemaking from the heart of Somerset.

Based at Bagborough Farm near Shepton Mallet, White Lake Cheese is an award-winning artisan dairy known for doing things a little differently. Their cheesemakers are constantly experimenting with new recipes, techniques and styles, creating one of the most diverse ranges of British artisan cheese around.

Goat's cheese is a particular speciality, made using milk from the farm's own herd, but the team also produces an impressive collection of sheep's and cow's milk cheeses. From soft, ash-coated cheeses to washed rinds, blues and hard continental-style varieties, there's a real sense of creativity running through the range.

Perhaps their best-known cheese is Rachel, a sweet, nutty, washed-rind goat's cheese that has collected numerous awards over the years. Alongside it are some fantastic British originals including Driftwood, Eve, Tor, Pavé Cobble and Sheep Rustler.

White Lake is a brilliant example of modern British cheesemaking — rooted in Somerset farming but never afraid to experiment.

From the Farm: Rachel, Driftwood, Eve, Tor, Pavé Cobble, Sheep Rustler, English Pecorino, King of the Castle and English Goat Curd.

Generations of farming, traditional clothbound Cheddar and a deep connection to the Devon landscape.

At Home Farm near Exeter, the Quicke family has been farming the land for over 500 years. Today, Mary Quicke MBE represents the 14th generation, continuing a remarkable family story and producing some of Britain's most respected traditional farmhouse Cheddar.

Everything begins with the farm. Quicke's cows graze the lush Devon pastures surrounding the dairy, with their milk transformed into cheese just metres away. Each truckle is made by hand using traditional methods, wrapped in muslin cloth and naturally matured for anything from several months to two years.

The result is a distinctly different style of Cheddar — complex, earthy and deeply savoury, with flavours developing as the cheese matures. Their Vintage Clothbound Cheddar is aged for around 24 months, developing rich layers of flavour and the characteristic crystalline texture of a beautifully matured cheese.

Quicke's is a wonderful example of true farmhouse cheesemaking, where the family, cows, pastures and dairy are all part of the same story.

From the Farm: Mature Clothbound Cheddar, Extra Mature Clothbound Cheddar, Vintage Clothbound Cheddar, Oak Smoked Cheddar, Double Devonshire and Goat's Milk Clothbound Cheese.

Five generations of traditional farmhouse Cheddar from the heart of Somerset.

The Keen family has been making Cheddar at Moorhayes Farm near Wincanton since 1899. Five generations later, they remain one of a small number of producers still making traditional Somerset farmhouse Cheddar using raw, unpasteurised milk from their own herd.

The cows graze the farm’s 500 acres of Somerset pasture, with their milk travelling just 50 yards from the milking parlour to the dairy. Cheesemaking begins within 12 hours of milking, allowing the character of the fresh raw milk to play an important part in the finished cheese.

Everything is wonderfully hands-on. The Cheddar is made using traditional techniques, pressed for three days and matured slowly, with each truckle regularly turned and graded by hand as it develops. The result is a proper farmhouse Cheddar with a rich, full-bodied flavour, crumbly texture and distinctive tang.

More than 125 years after the family first began cheesemaking at Moorhayes Farm, Keen’s remains proudly focused on doing one thing exceptionally well — traditional Somerset Cheddar.

From the Farm: Keen’s Mature Unpasteurised Cheddar and Keen’s Extra Mature Unpasteurised Cheddar.

Traditional farmhouse Cheddar handmade on a family farm in the heart of Somerset.

At Batch Farm near East Pennard, close to Glastonbury, the Gould family has been farming and making cheese for generations. Today, brothers John and Francis Gould continue that tradition, producing award-winning farmhouse Cheddar using milk from the farm’s own herd.

The cheese is made by hand using traditional methods, before being wrapped in cloth and matured slowly to develop the rich, savoury character associated with proper Somerset farmhouse Cheddar. Keeping the cows, milk and cheesemaking together on the farm gives Batch Farm’s cheese a genuine connection to the land it comes from.

Alongside their traditional Cheddar, the family has developed a range of flavoured cheeses, but the heart of the business remains wonderfully simple — good Somerset milk, traditional skills and generations of family farming experience.

From the Farm: Traditional Farmhouse Cheddar, Mature Cheddar and Vintage Cheddar, alongside Batch Farm’s flavoured Cheddar range.

Traditional Somerset Cheddar with a true sense of place.

Cheesemaking at Westcombe Farm in East Somerset can be traced back to 1890, when renowned cheesemaker Edith Cannon was producing Cheddar there. Today, father and son Richard and Tom Calver continue that heritage, making traditional farmhouse cheese using raw milk from their own cows.

The milk travels only a short distance from the milking parlour to the dairy — often arriving in the vat still warm from the cows. The team makes Westcombe Cheddar by hand using traditional starter cultures and natural rennet, with a strong belief that the quality of the cheese begins with healthy soil, diverse pasture and exceptional milk.

Their flagship Westcombe Cheddar is clothbound and matured for around 12–18 months in a purpose-built cellar buried into the Somerset hillside. Rich, savoury and complex, it's one of only a small number of cheeses recognised by Slow Food as Artisan Somerset Cheddar.

With regenerative farming, traditional cheesemaking and more than a century of history behind it, Westcombe is a brilliant example of cheese that genuinely reflects the farm and landscape it comes from.

From the Farm: Westcombe Cheddar, Smoked Westcombe, Duckett’s Aged Caerphilly, Westcombe Red and Somerset Ricotta.

From a family dairy farm on Bodmin Moor to World Champion cheese.

The Cornish Cheese Company was born in 2001 when dairy farmers Philip and Carol Stansfield were looking for a way to protect their family farm during a period of collapsing milk prices. Spotting that nobody was making blue cheese in Cornwall, Philip enrolled on a cheesemaking course and converted an old bottling plant beside the milking parlour into a tiny cheese dairy. Cornish Blue was born.

Rather than trying to replicate Stilton, Philip created something deliberately different — a younger, milder and creamier blue with a gentle sweetness. The cheese is handmade at Knowle Farm on the edge of Bodmin Moor, where the moist Cornish climate provides rich pasture for the milk used in production.

The gamble certainly paid off. In 2010, Cornish Blue was crowned World Champion Cheese, beating thousands of cheeses from around the world. More than 25 years after Philip and Carol began experimenting, the company has grown its range while continuing to make and mature its cheeses by hand.

Today the dairy produces everything from its famous blue to soft cheeses and Cheddar, while retaining the family-farm story that started it all.

From the Farm: Cornish Blue, Cornish Brie, Dozmary Cornish Camembert, Cornish Cheddar and Cornish Smoky Cheddar