Swaledale

What is Swaledale Cheese?

Swaledale cheese (Swaledale Sheep cheese) is unpasteurised sheep's milk cheese from Swaledale town in North Yorkshire, England. Swaledale cheese has roots in 11th-century Cistercian monks from Normandy, who shared their techniques with local farmers. In the 18th century, these farmers produced farmhouse cheese, which could be sold fresh or ripened to develop a blue hue. Despite a decline in cheese making by the 20th century, a revival occurred when the recipe was shared with the founders of the Swaledale Cheese company in February 1987.

Swaledale cheese, made in the town of Richmond, North Yorkshire, England, is a round, full-fat hard cheese made from unpasteurized sheep's milk sourced from Swaledale's pastures. This cheese boasts a medium-firm, moist texture and a flavour profile with sweet caramel undertones from the ewes' milk. During its maturation process, Swaledale cheese is stored in humid cellars. Without a natural wax covering, it develops a grey-blue mould on its rind. The cheese typically takes three to four weeks to reach maturity.