Leeds - Take Home Notes

Yorkshire Cheese

It’s not just milk that’s been left to think about its life choices, it’s a direct reflection of God’s Own County: unpretentious, surprisingly complex, and uncompromisingly stubborn.

Take Wensleydale, the undisputed holy grail of the broad acres. Then there’s Shepherds Purse, pushing boundaries without losing its down-to-earth soul.

Or take Mario Olianas, a Sardinian who moved to Otley, looked at a local sheep, and started churning out award-winning Yorkshire Pecorino.

And Camphill Village cheese are as unique and awesome as the place they come from!

#1: Dale End Farmhouse

Hold onto your hats, because Dale End is a proper heavyweight! Made by the Botton Village community, this traditional clothbound farmhouse cheese is aged for a whopping 18 months. It delivers a sharp, earthy, crumbly experience with a lingering savory punch that true Cheddar aficionados dream about. It's made using raw (unpasteurised) cow's milk and traditional animal rennet. Named after a local landmark near Danby, this cheese is turned by hand weekly in their ripening rooms to ensure that signature, complex flavour develops perfectly evenly. (nV+nP) 

#2:  Harrogate Blue

Feast your eyes on this stunner! Harrogate Blue is a golden-bodied, blue-veined showstopper crafted by the team at Shepherd’s Purse. It is delightfully creamy with a peppery, spicy kick that isn't overly harsh. Made with pasteurised cow's milk and vegetarian rennet, it’s a massive hit for blue-cheese-loving vegetarians. It launched in 2012 at one of our events! Then rapidly won Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards, cementing its place as a global icon. Its striking yellow paste comes from natural annatto, making it look as vibrant as it tastes. (V+P)

#3: Yorkshire Pecorino Fresco

Mama mia, Yorkshire has gone Mediterranean! Created by Mario Olianas—an Italian who moved to Leeds and brought his homeland's cheesemaking magic with him—this is a soft, young sheep’s milk cheese aged for just a few weeks. It’s light, creamy, fresh, and delightfully citrusy. Made with pasteurised ewe’s milk and vegetarian rennet, it is totally suitable for veggies. Mario uses local Yorkshire ewe’s milk, proving that God's Own County can rival the hills of Sardinia any day. (V+P)

#4: Summerfields Artisan Farmhouse

If sunshine was a cheese, this would be it. Handcrafted by Botton Village Creamery in the North York Moors, Summerfields is an Alpine-style stunner aged for up to eight months. Expect nutty, sweet, and deeply savory notes reminiscent of a classic Gruyère. It's made using raw, unpasteurised cow’s milk straight from their own Biodynamic herd. The cows graze on lush summer pastures filled with wild herbs, which directly infuses the milk with its rich, floral flavour profile. (V+nP)

#5: Kit Calvert Top Tier

Named after the legendary "Father of Wensleydale"—the man who saved the Hawes creamery from closing in the 1930s—this cheese is pure Yorkshire royalty. It's a hand-bound, cloth-wrapped traditional Wensleydale that is aged longer to create a buttery, flaky, and wonderfully complex flavor profile. Made at the Wensleydale Creamery with pasteurised cow's milk, it uses vegetarian rennet so vegetarians can reign supreme alongside it. Fun fact: without Kit Calvert, Wensleydale cheese as we know it might have vanished entirely! It’s dense, slightly acidic, deeply comforting, and tastes best alongside a thick slice of fruitcake. (V+P)

#6: Abbot's Gold

Golden by name, golden by nature! Another belter from the Wensleydale Creamery, Fountains Gold is a smooth, creamy Cheddar infused with rich, sweet caramelised onions. Made with pasteurised cow's milk and vegetarian rennet, it’s 100% vegetarian-friendly. Fun fact: its name pays homage to the nearby historic Fountains Abbey, where Cistercian monks first brought cheesemaking traditions to the Dales back in the 16th century! (V+P)

#7: Yorkshire Town Crier

Oyez, oyez! Gather round for a proper shout-out to a cracking local creation.Town Crier is an award-winning, Taleggio-style washed-rind cow's milk cheese crafted in Otley, West Yorkshire, by Mario Olianas. This semi-firm beauty boasts a rich, buttery depth with a subtle, tangy punch that demands your full attention. It’s crafted using pasteurised cow’s milk and features vegetarian rennet, making it 100% veggie-friendly! It was named in honor of traditional Yorkshire town criers… (V+P)

#8: Wensleydale Mango & Ginger

Party in the front, Yorkshire in the back! This crowd-pleasing dessert cheese takes classic, crumbly Real Yorkshire Wensleydale and folds in sweet dried mango and zesty crystallised ginger. Made with pasteurised cow’s milk and vegetarian rennet, it’s totally veggie-friendly. While purists used to scoff at fruit cheeses, this combination became an instant sensation because the spicy ginger perfectly cuts through the creamy richness of the curd. It’s sweet, snappy, insanely refreshing, and essentially acts as its own cheese course and dessert all rolled into one deliciously vibrant slice. (V+P)