New cheese celebrates Dartmoor National Park’s 75th anniversary

Sharpham Cheese’s new creation, named Dartmoor 75, is made using milk from the company’s own Jersey herd, some of whose cows graze on Dartmoor.

The launch comes in a successful year for the business, with two of its established cheeses, Savour and Ticklemore, each receiving three stars at the 2026 Great Taste Awards.

Dartmoor 75 is the first cheese of its particular style to be produced by Sharpham, which is best known for its soft and semi-soft cheeses. It is made using Swiss cultures and aged for at least 75 days, developing a smooth, supple texture and a deeper flavour.

During production, the curds are washed to retain moisture, while maturation takes place at a slightly warmer temperature than the dairy’s usual ageing rooms. The finished cheese has buttery and grassy notes, a gentle sweetness and a subtle tang.

Greg Parsons, co-owner of Sharpham Dairy, said: “Dartmoor 75 brings together our own creamy Jersey milk and a careful ageing process to create a cheese with a lovely balance of sweetness, tang and warmth. It’s at home on a cheeseboard, but it’s also a brilliant cheese to cook with.”

Sharpham’s cheesemaking story began in 1981 on the Sharpham Estate, near Totnes, when environmentalist and estate owner Maurice Ash began making cheese using milk from his Jersey herd. The business is now owned by Greg and Nicky Parsons, who took it over in 2019. In 2024, production moved to a larger purpose-built dairy at the South Devon Food Hub in Longcombe, near Totnes.

The dairy produces around 80 tonnes of cheese a year, using milk from its own cows alongside sheep’s and goats’ milk from local farms. In 2022, it became the first cheesemaker in the UK to achieve B Corp certification, recognising its social and environmental commitments.

Dartmoor 75 is available in a 225g wedge priced at £6.95, or as a whole cheese weighing approximately 1.8kg for £40. It can be bought from cheesemongers and delis or ordered online at sharphamcheese.co.uk