About Us

We began Shepherds Purse Artisan Cheeses in the late 1980’s after our Mum, Judy Bell, discovered her passion and talent for cheese making as she set out on a mission to create quality dairy alternatives for cow’s milk allergy sufferers.

Mentored by a local cheesemaker, Judy honed her craft, partnering with local farmers to establish satellite ewe’s milk farms and developing a sustainable model for sourcing high-quality milk, which soon paved the way for the creation of exceptional cow’s milk cheeses too.

Mum won our first Gold award in 1989 with Olde York at Nantwich International Cheese Show and awards have been an important part of the Shepherds Purse story ever since since.

In 2017 we had our best year yet with Harrogate Blue winning Super Gold at the World Cheese awards and being name in the top 15 cheeses in the World!

2023/4 also saw another stellar year with Mrs Bell's Blue winning a very prestigious and very rare 3 Star Great Taste Award, Buffalo Blue picking up a string of top industry awards, and our newly launched Organic Yorkshire Blue being recognised with several major trophies too!

We have grown organically over the years. Having started by making cheese only from sheep milk, we extended our range to include cow's milk and even water buffalo milk cheeses.

Today, we're best known for our blue cheeses Yorkshire Blue and Harrogate Blue, and for our sheep milk Mediterranean-style, Mrs Bell's Salad Cheese as well as our sheep milk blue Mrs Bell's Blue.

A new chapter began in 2012 when Judy passed the reins to daughters Katie
and Caroline. Continuing her pioneering work as a proudly independent family businesses, their team of 35 talented artisans share their unwavering passion for excellence, making exceptional cheese in the traditional way

You'll find our handcrafted products gracing the plates of some of the world’s most famous restaurants and events, as well as in prestigious retailers throughout the UK and beyond.

Our Cheese Selections