Norton & Yarrow Cheese

Maker of artisan goats’ cheese, Norton & Yarrow Cheese joined Farm Step in February 2016.

Inspired by a magazine article they read whilst on holiday in summer 2014, Oxfordshire couple Fraser Norton and Rachel Yarrow decided to fulfil a lifelong dream and set up a business making cheese.

After a year and a half of research, planning and set-up, Norton & Yarrow Cheese became the proud owner of a herd of Anglo Nubian goats, which are known as the ‘Jersey cow’ of the goat world due to their rich and creamy milk. The herd started with 10 adults and 22 kids and has grown to around 100 milking goats. As far as they know, Fraser and Rachel are the only cheesemakers in the UK planning to make cheese from an exclusively purebred Anglo Nubian herd.

Fraser and Rachel wanted to focus on creating high quality local cheese in a sustainable way so Norton & Yarrow Cheese is a perfect fit for the Farm Step programme. The goats are fed on hay from the wildflower meadows at the Earth Trust Farm; experts estimate that up to 30% of the flavour of a cheese comes from the animals’ diet, and the couple are confident you can taste the quality in the cheese.

The cheese is made at nearby Nettlebed Creamery and, in keeping with the truly local theme, the couple named their first cheeses after local landmarks: Little Wittenham, Brightwell Barrow and Sinodun Hill (the historic name for the Wittenham Clumps).

Within just a few months of business the cheeses were already winning awards and they continue to do so: two silver medals at the British Artisan Cheese Awards (March 2016); a gold and a bronze at the British Cheese Awards (June 2016); a silver medal in the World Cheese Awards (November 2016); Best New Cheese at the Artisan Cheese Awards (April 2017).

Where to buy

You can currently find at a number of local farmers’ markets and shops – please see the website for a full list of stockists.

Norton & Yarrow Cheese

Where to buy

Contact details

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