Showing posts with label Christmas Cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas Cheese. Show all posts

Wednesday, 12 November 2025

Shepherds Purse Unveils its Christmas Cheese Hamper Collection

A heavily laden, carefully curated, cheeseboard is one of the most joyous food highlights of the festive season. 

Cheese fanatics would argue there’s no better way to treat friends, family, or even yourself than with a scrumptious selection of Shepherds Purse cheeses, made and wrapped with care in the heart of Yorkshire.

From their family farm in North Yorkshire, Shepherds Purse, led by sisters Caroline Bell and Katie Matten, has been handcrafting internationally award-winning creamy blue and soft white ewe’s milk cheeses for more than 35 years.  

Becoming staples on Britain’s finest cheeseboards, this Christmas they are launching their most decadent festive collection yet, including a limited-edition collaboration with its fellow artisan friends Fen Farm Dairy and Devon based Quicke’s.

With eight tempting gift boxes to choose from, and prices starting from as little as £25, each hamper has been carefully curated and perfectly paired with pantry stalwarts, meaning it’s deliciously easy to send something special to your loved ones far and wide for this Christmas.

Consciously packaged in beautifully designed, eco-friendly gift boxes, along with sustainable wool packaging, Christmas orders and delivery slots are available now to book online at www.shepherdspurse.co.uk with free delivery on orders over £50.  

Caroline Bell, who is the co-managing director at Shepherds Purse, told That's Christmas 365: "Shepherds Purse has always been about craft, care and nourishing connection, values instilled by our mum Judy when she first began cheesemaking over 35 years ago. 

"At Christmas, food has a special way of bringing people together, and we’re proud to share our cheese in a way that makes gifting and celebrating effortless and joyful."

Katie Matten, the co-managing director at Shepherds Purse, concludes: "As a female-led family business, we’re passionate about keeping traditional cheesemaking alive while not being afraid to reimage it for today. 

"This Christmas collection is a chance to showcase not just our own award-winning cheeses, but also the brilliance of some fellow artisans we admire, creating cheeseboards that truly celebrate cheesemaking in the UK and the season."

Limited Edition Shepherds Purse & Friends Collection £65 (available for pre-order and delivered on 16th December only)

The Limited-Edition Shepherds Purse & Friends collection delivers you the ultimate British cheese board this Christmas (Only 50 available)

Featuring three award-winning Shepherds Purse cheeses, alongside two guest cheeses from fellow artisans, Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk with their Baby Baron Bigod, and Vintage Clothbound Cheddar from Devon based Quicke’s. Also included are carefully chosen artisan accompaniments and a special bespoke oak serving board, handcrafted in the Yorkshire Dales.

Box contains: Harrogate Blue 170g, Buffalo Blue 170g, Olde York 150g, Fen Farm Dairy’s Baby Baron Bigod 250g, Quicke’s Vintage Clothbound Cheddar 200g, Rosebud Preserves Red Onion & Port Marmalade, Peter's Yard Fig & Spelt Sourdough Crackers, Handcrafted Shepherds Purse Oak Serving Board.

Taste of Yorkshire Christmas £75

A ready-made Christmas party in a box, the Taste of Yorkshire Christmas Collection is bursting with a generous selection of creamy Shepherds Purse cheeses, perfectly paired with artisan crackers, honey, chutney and a delicious fruit cake from Lottie Shaw's. A fabulous gift filled with artisan treats or the perfect selection for all your Christmas gatherings!

Box contains: Yorkshire Blue 350g, Harrogate Blue 350g, Bluemin White 170g, Buffalo Blue 170g, Northern Blue 170g, Mrs Bell’s Salad Cheese 150g, Rosebud Preserves Red Onion & Port Marmalade, Annabel’s Blossom Honey, Water Biscuits from Stag Bakeries, Miller's Cranberry & Raison Toast, Traditional Fruit Cake by Lottie Shaws.

Christmas Kiss & Squeeze £37.50

“Christmas cake without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze” A Christmas Kiss & Squeeze includes Shepherds Purses’ most popular cheeses, along with a delicious fruit cake from Lottie Shaw's, artisan crackers and a chutney - the perfect sweet and savoury treat!

Box Contains: Yorkshire Blue 350g Quarter, Mrs Bell's Salad Cheese 150g Slice, Bluemin White 170g, Traditional Fruit Cake by Lottie Shaws, Fig & Honey Chutney from Shaw's of Huddersfield, Water Biscuits from Stag Bakeries.

A Bit of Blue £25

Another popular gift selection, A Bit of Blue includes world-class, award-winning blues paired with a beautiful fig & honey chutney.  Perfect for the blue cheese lover in your life.

Box Contains: Organic Yorkshire Blue 170g, Harrogate Blue 170g, Northern Blue 170g, Bluemin White 170g, Fig & Honey Chutney by Shaws of Huddersfield

Love Ewe: The Box £40

A thoughtful gift for those who adore ewe and can’t do moo. This gift selection is perfect for anyone who loves ewe's milk cheese and for those who are allergic or can’t tolerate cow’s milk cheeses. Includes the multi-award-winning Mrs Bell's Salad Cheese, Mrs Bell's Blue, Katy's White Lavender and Olde York, along with perfectly paired artisan accompaniments.

Box contains: Mrs Bell's Blue 350g, Mrs Bell's Salad Cheese 150g, Katy's White Lavender 150g, Olde York 150g mini truckle, Water Biscuits from Stag Bakeries, Shaw's Fig & Honey Chutney.

Taste of Yorkshire Classic £50

The Taste of Yorkshire Classic, an ever-popular gift selection featuring a collection of handcrafted, artisan cheeses alongside a perfectly paired preserve. Enjoy by yourself, share with those you love or gift it to someone special. 

Box contains: Organic Yorkshire Blue 170g, Harrogate Blue 350g, Bluemin White 170g Truckle, Mrs Bell's Blue 170g, Northern Blue 170g, Mrs Bell's Salad Cheese 150g Slice, Olde York 150g, Fig & Honey Chutney from Shaw's of Huddersfield.

Taste of Yorkshire Premium £60

Create the Yorkshire cheese board of your dreams with this collection of award-winning artisan cheeses fresh from the farm at Shepherds Purse, along with a selection of perfectly paired accompaniments.  

Box contains: Yorkshire Blue 350g, Harrogate Blue 350g, Mrs Bells Blue 170g, Bluemin White 170g, Mrs Bells Salad Cheese - 150g slice, Olde York 150g, Red Onion & Port Marmalade by Rosebud Preserves, Water Biscuits from Stag Bakeries, Cranberry & Raisin Toast from Millers

Taste of Yorkshire Deluxe £80

This deluxe collection features each of Shepherds Purses’ award-winning cow's milk, ewe's milk and buffalo milk cheeses along with a beautiful preserve from fellow artisans Rosebud and Water Biscuits from Stag Bakeries.

Box contains: Yorkshire Blue 350g, Harrogate Blue 350g, Northern Blue 170g, Mrs Bell's Blue 170g, Bluemin White 170g, Buffalo Blue 170g, Mrs Bell's Salad Cheese 150g, Katy's White Lavender 150g, Olde York - 150g, Red Onion & Port Marmalade from Rosebud Preserves, Water Biscuits from Stag Bakeries, Cranberry & Raisin Toast from Millers, Peter's Yard Fig & Spelt Sourdough Crackers.

https://www.shepherdspurse.co.uk/

Thursday, 2 November 2023

Why Pasture Fed Dairy Is the Choice of Cheese Connoisseurs and Eco Conscious Shoppers This Christmas

Hollis Mead is one of the few dairy farms in the UK that is 100% pasture fed and certified as such by Pasture for Life. 

But what is it that makes Pasture Fed Dairy so special? Especially at Christmas when the conscientious shoppers are looking for gifts with a sustainable difference?

Pasture fed dairy is nutritionally superior.

According to Angus Birditt food writer and Pasture for Life Marketing Manager “It’s clear pasture fed dairy is superior nutritionally. This is based on the premise that whatever we feed our animals will eventually impact the nutritional quality of meat and milk. Pasture-fed produce is much higher in omega-3 fats, and is particularly rich in vitamins A and E, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium.”

So, for people who are looking to feed their health as well as their tastebuds this Christmas, pasture-fed cream, butter, and cheese is the better choice.

Feeding cows on natural, organic pasture is better for the environment.

Organic, Pasture for Life farms like Hollis Mead, use no pesticides, herbicides or artificial fertiliser and no grains, soya, concentrates, or industrial feeds are used in the cows’ diets.

Pasture fed dairy farms are more naturally ‘regenerative’, meaning they put nutrients back into the soil and enhance biodiversity in their local ecosystem. Native pasture grass and wildflowers naturally capture and store more carbon than land used to grow grain and cereals. This in addition to cows’ dung, removes the need for chemical fertilisers (that degrade soil health and negatively impact biodiversity).

So not only is pasture fed dairy better for human health, but better for the health of the environment and biodiversity too.

Natural Pasture Fed Dairy tastes better!

At Hollis Mead we produce a wide range of pasture-fed, organic dairy products from our high-quality milk. Some of the most popular products we produce are our premium cheeses such as the Benville Brie, winner of 3 Stars at the Great Taste Awards 2022 and our Truffled Benville, winner of 3 Stars at the 2023 Great Taste Awards.

Founder Oliver Hemsley, launched Hollis Mead to demonstrate we can farm in a way that enhances nature, produces delicious, healthy products, and demonstrate that it is possible to build a profitable UK natural dairy business whilst at the same time protecting and enhancing biodiversity.

“At Hollis Mead, the quality and richness of our pasture fed, organic milk is the key to everything we produce. Our cows are milked only once a day compared to an intensive, industrial dairy farm and as a result are happier, our milk richer in nutrients and you can taste the wildflowers in our award winning cheeses”.

Why not try some of the award winning, pasture-fed, organic Hollis Mead products and see for yourself?

All Hollis Mead Pasture Fed dairy products are available from https://hollismead.com.