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Artisan cheese producers

1. Yorkshire Dales Cheese Company

Founded by David & Jane Harris in April 2006, this company hand-selects and sells an array of artisan cheeses from across Yorkshire, including Wensleydale, mature cheddar, blue-veined, and sheep/goat cheeses.

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2. Yorkshire Pecorino Cheese Ltd

Mario & Sonia Olianas produce award-winning, hand-crafted Sardinian-style sheep’s milk cheeses in Otley. Operational since a small kitchen in Adel, they moved to a purpose-built dairy, sourcing ewes’ milk from farms within 12 miles. Their Leeds Blue and Pecorino cheeses have received multiple awards.

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3. Wensleydale Creamery

Based in Hawes, this historic creamery traces its roots to 12th-century monastic cheesemaking. It is the only producer of PGI-certified Yorkshire Wensleydale, alongside a wide range of blended and traditional cheeses. A major rural employer and sustainability leader, it sources milk from 45 local farms and even converts cheese whey into green gas for nearby homes.

The award-winning Visitor Centre attracts over 300,000 visitors annually, offering cheese-making demos, tastings, a shop, museum and restaurant. The creamery has won 700+ awards and remains central to the Dales’ food heritage and economy.

Contact:

  • Hawes, DL8 3RN
  • Contact via website form
  • Website

4. Ribblesdale Cheese Company

A small family-run goats’ cheese producer from Hawes, started in 1978 by Iain Hill. Now run by his niece Iona and husband Stuart since 2006, they specialize in handmade goat’s cheeses – like Ribblesdale Blue and Chego – still crafted by a team of two.

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5. Swaledale Cheese Company

Revived in 1987 by David & Mandy Reed using a recipe handed down by Mrs Longstaff, this creamery continues an unbroken tradition from 11th-century Cistercian monks. They produce unpasteurised medium-firm Swaledale cheese from local herd milk and maintain traditional methods

Contact:

  • Metcalfe Farms, Leyburn, DL8 5JZ
  • 01748 824932
  • Website

6. Yorkshire Dama Cheese

Founded by Razan Alsous, a Syrian microbiologist and refugee who arrived in Britain in 2012. She combined her Mediterranean roots with Yorkshire milk to create award-winning squeaky cheese (Halloumi-style), ricotta and yoghurt.

Contact:

  • Unit 12, Sowerby Bridge Business Park, HX6 3AE
  • 07905 731932
  • Website

7. Shepherds Purse Cheeses Ltd

Founded in the late 1980s by Judy Bell MBE—it started with Dorset-style ewes’-milk cheese (“Yorkshire Fettle”) and expanded into cow, ewe, and buffalo milk blue, mould-ripened and fresh cheeses. Over 300 awards, including multiple Super Golds at World Cheese Awards.

Contact:

  • Leachfield Grange, Newsham, Thirsk, YO7 4DJ
  • Contact via website form
  • Website

8. Lowfields Farm Dairy

A small family-run farmhouse dairy near Ingleton using raw milk from Shorthorn cows to recreate a traditional 1930s Lancashire recipe. Makers of Lowfields Lancashire, a buttery textured cheese, and among only two raw Lancashire producers in the UK.

Contact:

  • Westhouse, Ingleton, on the edge of the Dales
  • Website

Laceys Cheese (Reeth, Yorkshire Dales)

A family-run artisanal dairy based in Reeth, Laceys make traditional Yorkshire-style cheeses using local cow milk. Their range spans Wensleydales, mature and smoked Cheddars, and blue cheeses, all handcrafted in the heart of the Dales. Beyond cheese, they produce award-winning gelato and offer interactive cheese- and gelato-making courses, as well as bespoke cheese wedding cakes—an ideal choice for unique celebrations and local markets .

Contact:

  • Unit 7, Reeth Dales Centre, Reeth, North Yorkshire
  • Website

The Cheese Press (Richmond, North Yorkshire)

Opened in March 2022 by Amber Lee and Mark Howe, this award-winning cheesemonger showcases the best of Yorkshire and British cheeses alongside European specialties. Recognised as Best New Business in 2024, the shop—located behind Richmond’s market square—also features a cosy Cheese Bar offering tasting plates and grazing boards on Saturday evenings, plus wine-paired cheese events.

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Stonebeck Cheese (Nidderdale) — Andrew & Sally Hattan

Andrew (PhD in dairy nutrition and former farm manager) and Sally (NHS dentist and environmental steward) restore traditional cottage-industry cheesemaking at Low Riggs Farm, near Middlesmoor, Nidderdale (remote upland at ~900 ft). Using raw milk from their small herd of critically-endangered Northern Dairy Shorthorn cows grazing biodiverse meadows, they craft a seasonal (spring–autumn) farmhouse Wensleydale-style cheese called “Stonebeck.” Pressed in cloth and matured traditionally, the cheese offers a creamy, layered flavour, reflecting 1917–1930s recipes and local terroir. The farm participates in agri-environmental schemes to restore hay meadows, moorland and wildlife habitats, integrating biodiversity into their cheesemaking.

Contact:

  • Low Rigg Farm, Middlesmoor, Stonebeck Up, Nidderdale, North Yorkshire
  • Website

Posh Cheese (Masham, North Yorkshire)

Founded to showcase the very best artisan cheeses, Posh Cheese operates in Bedale and attends four weekly markets across North Yorkshire – including Masham on Saturdays. They offer a wide selection of Yorkshire ewe, cow, and goat-milk cheeses and also run a “Graze” service for cheese boards and events, with special extended ranges during Masham Sheep Fair weekends.

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Appleby Creamery (Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria)

Established in 2008 by three former Express Dairy cheesemakers (Maurice, Alan & Bob), and now led by Maurice Walton, Appleby Creamery produces over 14 distinctive, award-winning cheeses (brie, blue, smoked brie, cheddar/carerphilly-style) using high-quality cow, goat, and sheep milk from local/regenerative farms. The creamery is powered by a 188 kW solar roof, supporting sustainability goals. Their Eden Smokie brie won top prizes at the International Cheese Awards, Great Yorkshire Show, and Great Taste.

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Curlew Dairy (Wensleydale, North Yorkshire)

Founded in early 2022 by Ben and Sam Spence after leaving their finance roles, Curlew Dairy launched a micro-dairy in Wensley focused on slow, small-batch, raw-milk Wensleydale called “Yoredale”. Made using milk from a single local herd of Holstein & Ayrshire cows grazing pastures (April–November) and haylage in winter, the cloth-bound cheese is aged for 3–4 months, yielding a smooth, buttery, terroir-reflective flavour. Their Yoredale won Gold at the British Cheese Awards.

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