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INTRODUCTION

The Northumberland Cheese Dairy sits in the heart of rural
Northumberland. It was founded by Marc Robertson

in 1984 as the Redesdale Sheep Dairy, producing ewe’s milk
cheese from his own small herd. Soon the range had

expanded to include cow’s milk and goat’s milk cheeses too.
As accolades poured in and the business grew, the

dairy moved from Elsdon to its current home on in The
Granary on the Blagdon Estate. Today Northumberland

Cheese produces 16 different farmhouse cheeses and
employs 25 members of staff, from cheesemakers to

farmer’s market staff.



OUR STORY

Northumberland Cheese Company was founded in 1984 by Marc
Robertson, who began work as a sheep farmer and was given a recipe

for Gouda whilst visiting a friend in Holland. Using this recipe
Marc made Resedale, his first batch of sheep’s milk cheese, in his

farmhouse kitchen sink.

Discovering a flair for cheese making Marc began to develop his
cheese range further, experimenting with cow, sheep and goats
milk cheeses. The business began to outgrow the dairy in Elsdon
and moved to Blagdon in 1996. Today, Northumberland Cheese
Company makes 17 different types of Farmhouse cheeses in a

converted granary building in Northumberland.



MEET THE MAKER

Martin Atkinson | Head Cheese-maker

Our Production Manager is Martin Atkinson. Martin
was a navy chef for 25 years, before becoming a
cheesemaker at Northumberland Cheese. He has

been with the company for 13 years. Martin oversees
production, he creates new cheeses and he manages
the dairy. He also conducts cheese tours and instructs

cheesemaking days.



OUR CHEESES

We produce a really wide range of farmhouse cheeses and every cheese has its very
own unique and individual character. Our cheeses all produced by hand by cheese

makers with decades of experience between them.

BLAGDON BLUE

creamy & blue

TASTING NOTES

A creamy, cellar ripened cow’s milk cheese. Streaked with blue veins but not over-
powering on the palate. The mould ripened finish gives this cheese a fantastic

artisan appearance that will complement any cheese board. Each individual cheese
is crafted using traditional handmade methods using the milk of the local. Blagdon

Estate Dairy herd.

CHEESE HISTORY

New product development is all about trial and error in the cheese industry. In
2010 we identified a gap in our range of farmhouse cheeses for a blue cheese, so
off Martin (our head cheesemaker) went to a course at Reaseheath College. Here
he learnt the basics of blue cheese making and came back to our Northumberland
dairy for a little play. Blue cheese is a lot more ‘attention seeking’ than the rest of
our cheese! We had to get a new fridge and a specially designed piercer for making
the holes every 3 days. We are delighted to say that we now have a truly delicious

vegetarian blue cheese which is now a multi-award winner.

PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



OAK SMOKED

smokey yet delicate
TASTING NOTES

Slowly oak-smoked over 24 hours to impart a full yet delicate flavour, which grows
richer on the palate, with a smooth, long-lasting finish. A perfect balance between

cheese and smoke.

CHEESE HISTORY

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PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



COQUETDALE

complex & confident

TASTING NOTES

A prize-winning gourmet cheese packed with complex character and confidence.
Mould-ripened, it is rich, clean and creamy with a melting texture and a long, fruity

finish. A king of cheeses.

CHEESE HISTORY

The Coquetdale recipe developed from Mark’s trip to France in the late 90s where
he visited Puy-de-Dôme, in the Auvergene region famous for Saint-Nectaire
cheese. After spending a couple of weeks making cheese with the farmers, Mark

returned to Northumberland to adapt the recipe and make our own version that
played to the strengths of the milk we use.

PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



KIELDER

jersey milk
TASTING NOTES

Handmade with Jersey milk and as rich and golden as autumn in Kielder Forest. A
buttery, ripe and full flavoured young cheese with a lingering creamy aftertaste.

CHEESE HISTORY

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PASTEURISED JERSEY COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



REDESDALE

sweet & subtle
TASTING NOTES

A sweet, subtle sheep’s cheese. With its rich, velvety texture, clean characteristic taste
and refreshing tang this prize-winning recipe is one to savour. Redesdale has a thirty
year old history, and is extra special to us because it is the first cheese we ever made!

Originally called Redesdale Sheep’s Dairy, Marc Robertson’s company at Soppit
Farm in Otterburn made small batches of Redesdale ewe’s milk cheese for friends

and family to enjoy.

CHEESE HISTORY

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PASTEURISED SHEEP’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



HADRIAN

smooth & creamy
TASTING NOTES

A sprinkling of caraway seeds stimulates and cleanses the palate, lending a cool, dry
and sophisticated finish to a creamy smooth cheese. Perfect after dinner.

CHEESE HISTORY

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PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



CHILLI

fiery kick
TASTING NOTES

Creamy smooth Northumberland Original spiced with the fiery kick of red chilli. A
hot little number for the cheese board and the perfect topping for tortillas.

CHEESE HISTORY

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PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



NETTLE

hint of nettle
TASTING NOTES

All the creamy smoothness of our Northumberland Original combined with the
subtle fresh flavour of real nettles. A true taste of the hills. Our bestselling cheese.

CHEESE HISTORY

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PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



REIVER

lingering finish
TASTING NOTES

Mould-ripened with the robust aroma of autumn leaves, this cheese has a complexity
of flavour that demands a sophisticated palate.

One to savour as it develops towards a lingering finish.

CHEESE HISTORY

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PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



ELSDON

traditional goat’s cheese
TASTING NOTES

A delicate take on the traditional goats’ cheese. We’re talking firm texture, pleasant
tang and a refreshingly clean finish. Unbeatable in a pear and walnut salad.

CHEESE HISTORY

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PASTEURISED GOAT’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



CHEVINGTON

mould-ripened

TASTING NOTES

A smooth, creamy, mould-ripened cheese with a sharp, clean bite leading to a
gently stimulating richness. Tastes not far off a hard English brie. Mad using
pasteurised Jersey Cows’ Milk from local Jersey herds (at Wheelbirk’s Farm in
Corbridge, Northumberland) and vegetarian rennet. An easy cheese to love and a

major prizewinner.

CHEESE HISTORY

Chevington Cheese has a unique history; it was first produced & marketed in 1895
by Mr John W Annett in Chevington Northumberland. However, just a few years
after being introduced to the market the death of Mr Annett in 1903 resulted in
the end of the line for Chevington Cheese. The Cheese was revived in 2001 by our
very own Mark Robertson, who runs the Northumberland Cheese Company. He was
able to track down the original recipe created by Mr Annett, at the Northumberland
Records Office, & has since re-launched the Chevington Cheese. For a true taste of

wild Northumbrian history try Chevington!

PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



CHEVIOT

delicate & refreshing

TASTING NOTES

A delicate mustiness on the nose leads to a rich buttery cheese with a refreshingly
assertive flavour and a tongue-tingling saltiness on the palate.

CHEESE HISTORY

Cheviot was created following a demand from our customers for a strong, mature
cheese to be added to our range. We took the basic Coquetdale recipe that was

proving so popular with cheese lovers and instead of cellar ripening, we put it in
a bag and left it alone to mature. After a lot of trial and error and taste testing, we
found the optimum maturity for this cheese was 6 months. The result was a strong
vegetarian cheese, completely different in taste and texture to Coquetdale but one

that has been a winning part of our range for almost 20 years now.

PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



BRINKBURN

extravagant goat’s cheese

TASTING NOTES

As extravagant as a goats’ cheese can get. A mould-ripened cheese which is velvety
soft on the palate, light-textured and pleasingly refined with a delicate edge
to lengthen and liven things up. This international prize-winner is queen of
the cheeses.

CHEESE HISTORY

In 2000 we were invited to cater Brinkburn Music Festival at Brinkburn Priory; a
prestigious event attracting many visitors to Northumberland. For such a special
occasion we decided to create a new cheese. Based on the same recipe as Elsdon;
our original goat’s milk cheese, Brinkburn was matured in cellar conditions for 3
months to create a deeper and richer flavour. After the festival Brinkburn cheese
was so popular we added it to our range and it is still one of the most well-loved

Northumberland Cheeses.

PASTEURISED GOAT’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



ORIGINAL

mild & versatile
TASTING NOTES

This mild handmade cheese is extremely versatile in the kitchen. Cool, silky texture
bursts into a rich, buttery flavour with a satisfying finish. Melts super smoothly -
perfect for sauces, on toast or as it comes. Based on a Gouda recipe.

CHEESE HISTORY

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PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



GARLIC

perfectly balanced
TASTING NOTES

A bold but perfectly balanced combination of mild creamy Northumberland
Original and gutsy garlic. Try it melted on crusty bread with a bowl of French

onion soup.

CHEESE HISTORY

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PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



NORTHUMBERLANDIA

perfectly balanced

TASTING NOTES

Pair this delicious cheese with some oaty crackers, some sweet chutney, and a glass of
some hoppy bitter.

CHEESE HISTORY

Northumberland Cheese Company, like Northumberlandia, is also based on the
Blagdon Estate. We were developing a new cheese, one that would be more acidic,

and more crumbly.

Northumberlandia is a beautiful landmark, evolving through time, like the
maturation of the cheese. The use of coal in the sculpture of Northumberlandia

is a nod to the significance of the coal mining industry in the North, with the
use of black wax around the cheese. Nothing could be more Northumbrian than
Northumberlandia from Northumberland Cheese, and we are delighted that it all

happens on the rolling Blagdon Estate.

A donation of the profts from the sales of Northumberlandia are donated to the
landtrust, to keep the lady looking at her best.

PASTEURISED COW’S MILK, VEGETARIAN



TASTING NOTES
CHEESE HISTORY