Berkswell

Available by the half pound

Berkswell is a hard ewe’s milk cheese with a complex sweetness. Its gentle tang and slightly granular texture often draw comparisons with the Spanish cheese Manchego.

Ram Hall Farm in the village of Berkswell, Warwickshire, has been in the hands of the Fletcher family for six generations. The first Berkswell cheese was made by Stephen Fletcher's mother Sheila in the early 1990s. Today, it is head cheesemaker Julie Hay who oversees the make, the milk for which is sourced entirely from Stephen's 450-strong flock of Friesland sheep. The sheep's feed is grown entirely at the farm, which Stephen runs together with his son George and father Peter. Dividing the flock into four and lambing continuously has enabled Berkswell to be produced throughout the year, and the rainbow-like array of moulds you find on the rind of Berkswell varies seasonally.

Unpasteurized Sheep Milk