Sharpham Dairy in South Devon is a small, artisan producer of handmade cheeses. Cheese has been produced on the Sharpham Estate for 40 years and is made using milk from Sharpham’s own herd, together with goats’ and sheep’s milk from local family farms.
Nestled in a beautiful valley overlooking the River Dart, Sharpham Dairy was the idea of environmentalist and farmer, Maurice Ash, who found a way to make his favourite cheese using milk from his Jersey herd, becoming one of the first cheesemakers in England to attempt to make Brie.
In 2003, cheesemaking moved from the coachyard of Sharpham House to a purpose-built cheese dairy on the Estate. Now owned and run by the Parsons family, Sharpham Dairy remains a small, artisan producer making around 70 tonnes of cheese a year. The team of cheesemakers have over 100 years’ experience between them, traditional techniques are still employed, and you can truly taste the lush Devon pastures in the cheese.
Sharpham’s eight main cheeses are winners of many awards and include a Global Cheese Awards’ UK Supreme Cheese.
They are found in delis, restaurants and cheesemongers in the West Country and beyond, and are available through their website too.