In Praise of Moorland Milk and Proper West Country Curds
There are days when the postal delivery brings little more than bills, circulars, and the sort of bureaucratic missives designed to raise the blood pressure of a rural scribbler. And then there are those blessed mornings when a sturdy cardboard box lands on the porch, smelling faintly of cool damp cellars, rich meadow grass, and pure South Devon alchemy.
Such was the case recently when a parcel arrived from my old friends at Sharpham Dairy.
I have spent the best part of half a century traversing every corner of this glorious West Country peninsula, chronicling the dedicated folk who make honest, unadulterated food from the soil and pastures beneath our feet. In that time, Sharpham has remained a true North Star. Over the years I have written reams in the regional press about this remarkable outfit - from the days when they first began dominating international competitions to the moment Greg and Nicky Parsons took the helm in 2019, determined to prove that cheesemaking could be an unalloyed force for good.
They weren’t whistling in the wind, either. Sharpham became the first cheesemaker in the UK to achieve coveted B-Corp certification, meeting rigorous standards that put planet and people on an equal footing with profit. From paying proper living wages to ensuring every scrap of packaging is recyclable, their values are deeply rooted.
I remember chatting with Greg when they picked up the Sustainability Trophy at the Virtual Cheese Awards, and his words stuck with me: "From our perspective, a successful business is one that acts with transparency and integrity, in accordance with its core values, and has a responsibility to leave something better behind."
That reverence for the land explains why their cheeses taste as vibrant as they do. Whether it was Mary Quicke’s brilliant Academy of Cheese—which Greg championed from the outset as a Patron to foster a genuine appreciation for milk as "solidified sunshine"—or their daring foray into coastal terroir with that exquisite sea-lettuce and dulse Rustic created with Sidmouth's Ebb Tides, Sharpham has never been content to sit back on its laurels.
Today, their trophy cabinet is groaning under the weight of three coveted 3-star Great Taste Awards—for Cremet (that luscious soft goat's cheese enriched with double cow’s cream that Marcus Wareing once crowned British Product of the Year), the flinty, citrus-licked goat’s marvel Ticklemore, and the peerless Savour.
Check out another of our posts on West Country cheese here
Yet their latest creation touches a landscape very close to my own rambling heart: the granite heights of Dartmoor.
The Spirit of the High Moor: Introducing Dartmoor 75
Next year marks 75 years since Dartmoor was designated a National Park in 1951. To mark the milestone, Sharpham has crafted Dartmoor 75, an alpine-style artisan cheese that encapsulates the high moor in every mouthful.
The pedigree is impeccable. Made with the rich, golden milk of Jersey cows grazing the rugged upland pastures of Dartmoor itself, the curd is pressed and cellar-aged for a minimum of 75 days. What emerges from the ripening rooms is something quite singular: a smooth, supple, buttery paste with a clean, nutty backbone and a lingering grassy sweetness that speaks directly of high tors, mist-shrouded clitters, and rain-washed granite.
It possesses that wonderful, pliable meltability of a true continental mountain cheese, but carries that distinct, unmistakable Devon pasture richness running right through its veins. Slice a thick wedge alongside a slab of crusty sourdough, pair it with a spoonful of Sharpham's award-winning fig chutney, and you have the sort of sustenance that would revive the weariest hiker after a five-mile squelch across the peat.
The Festive Cheeseboard: Proper Feasts, Not Supermarket Fluff
Along with the sneak preview of Dartmoor 75, Greg and Nicky have lifted the lid on their 2026 Christmas Hamper Collection. If you are tired of those glossy, wicker-basket affairs filled with dusty, imported preserves nobody ever eats, this is the perfect antidote: an unapologetic celebration of independent West Country foodcraft.
In keeping with their B Corp standards, every collection arrives in recyclable materials with reusable chill-packs, built around their core dairy lineup alongside produce gathered from artisan neighbours:
The Starter Collections: Ranging from the straightforward Sharpham Cheese Classics (£27) with Brie, Ticklemore, Rustic, and sourdough crackers, up to The Essential Devon Cheese Board (£37) and the Devon Cheese Collection with Wine (£52), which introduce stalwart companions like Quicke’s Mature Cheddar and Devon Blue.
The Devoted Taster: Simply Sharpham Cheese (£65) gathers six of the dairy’s own creations—including Elmhirst, Cremet, and Rustic with Garlic & Chives—alongside seasonal chutneys and rosemary sourdough crackers.
The Grand Gatherings: For serious hosting, the South Devon Food Hub Hamper (£90), the Christmas Cheese & Deli Grazing Curation (£100), and the Festive Feast & Fizz Celebration (£120) pull out all the stops. We are talking local capocollo and artisan salami, jars of sweet local honey and quince, Curworthy Smoked cheese, Devon sparkling wine from Huxbear, and ready-to-pour cocktails from Bar Buoy.
The Vineyard Connection: For those of us who appreciate the natural kinship between rind and grape, the Rind & Vine Experience (£110) pairs six Sharpham cheeses with three bottles from neighbouring Sandridge Barton, including their celebrated English Bacchus and Devon red.
In an era where so much modern food comes homogenised and wrapped in sterile plastic, supporting producers who honour the land, the beasts, and the seasons is more vital than ever. Whether you squirrel away a wedge of Dartmoor 75 for your own fireside supper or dispatch a hamper to a distant friend, you are sharing the authentic, living taste of Devon at its very best.
The Sharpham Christmas hamper range and artisan cheeses are available to order online directly from Sharpham Cheese.
