Devon has a rich history of dairy farming which lends itself rather well to cheese production. The rich milk from well nourished herds roaming freely among lush green pastures produces delicious artisan cheeses. We’ve listed a few of our favourite Devon cheeses below.
Curworthy Cheese
Based at Stockbeare Farm near Okehampton in Devon, Curworthy have been producing top quality artisan cheeses for the last 25 years. The milk is sourced from local dairy farms and pasteurised on site to produce award winning cheeses. Their signature Devon Oke is made to a recipe dating back to the 17th century and has mellow, slightly sweet flavours and a creamy texture. Newer cheeses include Dartmoor Chilli which blends Devon Oke with fiery Ring of Fire chillies grown at the nearby South Devon Chilli Farm and Devon Maid, a mould ripened soft cheese with rich and creamy flavours and described as a combination between brie and camembert.
Sharpham Cheese
Sharpham Dairy was established in 1981 on the Sharpham Estate near Totnes, Devon. They produce hand made artisan cheeses using the rich milk from their own herd of Jersey cows and today employ traditional cheese making techniques such as ‘cheddaring’ the cheese by hand. Their cheeses include the Rustic which is a semi-hard, unpasteurised cheese with fresh, lemony flavours, there is also a variation using fresh garlic and chives which lends a savoury depth to the cheese. Their brie is award winning with delicious buttery flavours and creamy texture.
Quickes Cheese
The Quickes have been producing traditional cloth bound Cheddar on Home Farm near Exeter, Devon for the last 500 years using recipes passed down through the generations and milk from their own herd. Their cheeses are all made by hand and allowed to slowly mature for the best flavours. Their vintage cheese is matured for up to two years which allows the rich caramel flavours to fully develop, resulting in a full bodied, complex cheese. Their cloth bound goats cheese is full of buttery, creamy flavours with distinct nutty undertones and is typically matured for six months.
Ticklemore Cheese
Ticklemore Cheese are based in Totnes, Devon and have been making cheeses for the last 40 years. One of its founders Robin Congdon was a pioneer in the 1970’s, reviving the tradition of milking sheep in the UK. One of their most popular cheeses is the Devon Blue which is made using pasteurised milk from local farms. It has clean, buttery flavours and moist, slightly crumbly texture. Another favourite is the Beenleigh Blue which is a ewes milk cheese. The milk is only available in the Spring and early Summer, during this time as much Beenleigh as possible is made, some is then kept back at colder temperatures to last throughout the year. The result is varying seasonal flavours, early cheeses are light and fresh while the matured cheese is richer and creamier.
We are proud to stock local cheeses and support local dairies wherever possible, it does help that Devon produces some great tasting cheeses!