Mrs Bells Blue Cheese

Mrs Bells is a creamy, smooth cheese with blue veins dotted through it.

It is less salty than many other blue cheeses.

Sheep’s milk from local flocks of sheep, curdled with vegetarian rennet, is used to make the cheese.

The cheese is aged 10 to 12 weeks.

The cheese is made by Shepherd’s Purse Cheeses Ltd in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shepherdspursecheeses/

Other cheeses from the same creator: Buffalo Blue Cheese, Byland Blue Cheese, Katy’s White Lavender Cheese

History Notes

Mrs Bells Blue Cheese was created in 1987 by Judy Bell (died March 2022, aged 71), who named the cheese after herself. It was her company’s first cheese. Her training was actually as a pharmacist.

“Judy Bell MBE founded Shepherds Purse Artisan Cheeses from her husband Nigel’s farm near Thirsk in 1988, and after beginning her business by selling cheese at markets, she went on to supply her products to Tesco. Mrs Bell was a pharmacist before her marriage and after having four children, was looking for a way to diversify the farm and boost income. Mrs Bell was inspired to launch her ewes’ milk cheeses when she first became aware of dairy intolerance. She had no experience of food manufacturing….

The couple had an 180-acre arable farm with some beef cattle and pigs and initially her husband was sceptical about keeping sheep. She bought 40 ewes and having never even milked a cow before, took a two-day cheesemaking course. The contract with Tesco in the early 1990s was only accepted on the basis that the supermarket would send staff to the Bells’ farm for training before they could sell the cheeses.” ^[1]Newton, Grace. Yorkshire businesswoman and Shepherds Purse Artisan Cheeses founder Judy Bell MBE has died. The Yorkshire Post. 15 March 2022. Accessed April 2022 at https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/people/yorkshire-businesswoman-and-shepherds-purse-artisan-cheeses-founder-judy-bell-mbe-has-died-3611511

In 2012, her daughters Caroline Bell and Katie Matten began managing the company. ^[2]Lane, Michael. Tributes paid to ‘force of nature’ Judy Bell MBE. Guild of Fine Food. 6 April 2022. Accessed April 2022 at https://gff.co.uk/tributes-paid-to-force-of-nature-judy-bell-mbe/

Her son Justin also joined the business and “pioneered a range of cow’s milk cheeses.” ^[3]Newton, Grace. Yorkshire businesswoman and Shepherds Purse Artisan Cheeses founder Judy Bell MBE has died.