At Shepherds Purse, we've always been driven by a passion for artisan cheese-making and a commitment to sustainability and health. As many of you will already know, our story began in 1987 when mum, Judy Bell MBE, discovered that more people were experiencing intolerances and allergies to cow’s milk, and there were only few tasty alternatives for people suffering. And so we embarked upon our journey with sheep milk and artisan cheese making. Since then, we have remained steadfast in our dedication to creating cheeses of unparalleled quality and flavour and are also good for our health.
Our cheeses not only celebrate the rich heritage of Yorkshire and the broader landscape of British agriculture but also embrace the diversity of natural milks produced in our land. This commitment allows us to offer a variety of world-class quality cheeses for individuals facing health challenges and health goals, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the great taste without compromise. A pivotal moment in our journey was the launch of Yorkshire Blue and Mrs Bell’s Blue in 1995, marking the return of blue cheese production to Yorkshire after more than three decades, and for us, the introduction of cow’s milk to our range. This milestone was also the beginning of our adventures in blue cheese innovation.
We have great relationships with our farmers who are truly world class in the world of sheep, cow and water buffalo dairy. All are constantly improving too and and embracing new technologies when they help them farm even better. Our relationship with the Tweddle family, the proud owners of Acorn Organic Dairy located just up the road from us, has been a cornerstone of our organic dairy journey. Bonded by our families' longstanding friendships and a shared ethos towards farming, sustainability and health, we've always looked for ways to collaborate and innovate. Despite an early setback in the 2000s due to the foot and mouth disease, which halted our initial attempt to create an organic blue cheese, our mutual dedication to our respective crafts and our land never wavered.
The conversations between Caroline Shepherds Purse and Caroline Acorn Organic Dairy about sustainability and the pioneering work being done at Acorn were instrumental. Inspired by their efforts and driven by our shared vision, we decided it was time to revisit our dream of producing an organic blue cheese. In early 2023, we began trials using Acorn's organic milk, an opportunity to show our commitment to not only quality but also to environmental stewardship.
Caroline and Caroline when the page turned on this chapter of our organic story on March 1st 2023
We are thrilled to announce that our perseverance has borne fruit (or rather, cheese!): the launch of Organic Yorkshire Blue, our first cheese in our organic range.
Special thanks also have to go to Graham at Acorn Organic Dairy and our Amy at Shepherds Purse who, along with great teams behind them, worked tirelessly to get the operations of this project up and running. Ideas only become reality with a lot of hard work a perseverance.
Our Amy behind the scenes with inquisitive cows at Acorn Dairy Farm (she's not normally a photographer!)
We’d love you to join us in celebrating the official launch of Organic Yorkshire Blue it's available now on our website and it'll be winging it's way out to shops! We hope you love it as much as we do x
