Celebrating International Women's Day 2025

Today we’re celebrating International Women's Day 2025 and shining a light on some of the inspirational women here at Shepherds Purse. 

Founded in the late 1980s by our pioneering founder Judy Bell, Shepherds Purse Cheeses began on the family farm in North Yorkshire as a passion project and farm diversification creating alternatives for people with cow’s milk allergies.

Her infectious enthusiasm and natural talent for cheesemaking flourished as she explored ewe’s milk, a cutting-edge choice in Britain at the time, and laid the foundation for what has become one of Britian’s best known artisanal cheesemaking business.

In 1995, Shepherds Purse brought blue cheesemaking back to Yorkshire after more than 30 years and with an unwavering commitment to artisanal methods and exceptional quality, Judy and her family introduced Yorkshire Blue, a creamy, mild cow’s milk blue cheese, alongside Mrs Bell’s Blue, an ewe’s milk counterpart, which quickly became the cornerstones of their range, and continued to innovate, adding new varieties and later launching a Buffalo Milk cheese too.

2012 saw Judy passing the reins to daughters Katie and Caroline who together launched Harrogate Blue in 2012, a luxurious cow’s milk blue cheese with a golden hue and buttery texture.  It quickly went on to achieve international acclaim, including a coveted Super Gold at the World Cheese Awards in 2017/18, where it was judged the 11th best cheese in the world!

Today, Shepherds Purse remains true to its roots as a family-run, artisanal cheesemaker, embracing quality, innovation, tradition, nourishment and community at its heart.  Now a dedicated team of 35 passionate individuals lead by Katie and Caroline, the business continues Judy’s passion and commitment to creating exceptional cheese without compromise, carefully hand-salting, turning, grading and wrapping every batch with care.

Discover more about our story from farm diversification to award-winning artisanal cheesemaker here