World Milk Day: Celebrating the Source
Each year on 1st June, World Milk Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the most important ingredient at the heart of our cheeses, milk, as well as the farmers, families, and communities behind it.
As more consumers take an interest in where their food comes from, World Milk Day is a wonderful reminder of the care, craftsmanship, and provenance that goes into every litre produced. For us here at Shepherds Purse, it’s also a chance to celebrate the partnerships and passion that have shaped our business for more than 35 years.
When you choose artisan cheese, you’re doing far more than selecting something delicious for your cheeseboard. You’re supporting independent British cheesemaking, helping sustain rural farming communities, and preserving regional food heritage and landscapes for future generations.
Whether it’s a creamy wedge of Harrogate Blue, Mrs Bell’s Salad Cheese crumbled over a salad, or a generous slice of Buffalo Blue paired with something sweet, every Shepherds Purse cheese begins with exceptional milk and the people who produce it.
Our story itself started with milk, and specifically sheep’s milk. In the late 1980s, our founder Judy Bell began experimenting with ewe’s milk as an alternative for people with cow’s milk sensitivities. What began as a small diversification project with just six milking sheep has grown into an award-winning artisan dairy producing cheeses made from ewe’s, cow’s, organic cow’s, and water buffalo milk, each bringing its own unique character, texture, and flavour.
World Milk Day is about more than simply celebrating dairy products; it’s about recognising the skill, care, sustainability, and dedication behind every stage of production. We’re incredibly fortunate to work alongside a network of fantastic British farmers who share our commitment to quality.
Our cow’s milk comes from three trusted local family farms we’ve worked with for many years, while our Organic Yorkshire Blue is made using organic milk supplied by Caroline and Graham at Acorn Organic Dairy near Darlington.
Our ewe’s milk is supplied by Simon, winner of Sheep Farmer of the Year award in 2011, and whose flock of 400 Friesland ewes graze in Lancashire, alongside milk from other farms within his co-operative. Sheep’s milk has been enjoyed for centuries and is naturally rich and creamy, with a flavour not too far removed from cow’s milk, but benefits from a host of unique qualities and nutritional benefits too. You can find out more about those here.
Alongside these milks, we’ve also been crafting our much-loved Buffalo Blue for over 25 years using milk from a herd of Italian Water Buffalo. That journey began when a local farmer approached Judy in the 1990s to ask whether she’d consider experimenting with buffalo milk for cheesemaking, naturally, she said yes. The result is a wonderfully rich and creamy blue cheese with exceptional depth of flavour.
Buffalo milk is naturally high in protein, calcium, and essential minerals, and its rich butterfat content gives the cheese an indulgent creaminess that makes it perfect for artisan cheesemaking.
At Shepherds Purse, we’re immensely proud to work with high-quality British milk and with the dedicated farmers who supply it. Their expertise, care for their animals, and commitment to sustainable farming are at the heart of everything we do.