We began in 2006 making three artisan cheese from Isle of Wight milk. Things grew slowly over the years and in 2017 when the landlord farmer retired, we took on the farm ourselves. We continue to focus on the cheeses that we make but we have plans for the future that involve the public coming to the farm to share in the experience.

What do you produce?

We make three artisan cheeses, all by hand on the site with pasteurised milk where they are ripened, matured, packaged and distributed. The cheeses are: Isle of Wight Soft - a white rinded soft white cheese, approximately 200g in weight. Shelf life 8 weeks from day of manufacture. Isle of Wight Blue - a naturally rinded soft blue veined cheese, approximately 200g in weight. Shelf life 8 weeks from day of manufacture Gallybagger - a modern British hard cheese, approximately 4.5kg in weight. Typically the cheese is sold when it has developed a minimum of 7 month's maturity. We cut this into retail slices. Shelf life is 56 days from cutting.

Where do you source your ingredients / materials from?

Provenance is important to us and our cheese, and we source all of our milk from the Isle of Wight. The cows are Friesian ​/​ Holstein breed. We buy the milk from one of only 4 remaining active dairy farms on the island.

Why do your customers love your products?

Our customers' comments often refer to the creaminess and texture of the cheeses that combine so well with the flavour development that we create during the cheese make and ripening process.

What are your best selling products?

Sales of Isle of Wight Blue top the other two, but not by much as all three are stand out cheeses in their own right.

Where can we buy your products?

We currently have a small retail point of sale at the dairy. Our cheeses can be found all over the Isle of Wight in butchers, delicatessens, and retail shops. We often appear on the menu of many eateries on the island.

Are you open for visitors? If yes, what are your opening hours?

Monday to Friday between 7am and 3pm is usually the best time to find us

Have you received any awards / lovely recommendations from experts (don't be shy!)?

Multiple medals at the British, World, Artisan Cheese Awards over the years. Most notably... 2007 Best English Cheese for IOW Blue at the World Cheese Awards Reserve Champion 2019 for Isle of Wight Soft at the British Cheese Awards and Best Vegetarian Cheese 2019 for IOW Blue at the Artisan Cheese Awards.

Do you sell wholesale? If so how do we get in touch with you to discuss further?

Yes we sell wholesale. Please contact us for more details.

Who's the best local producer near you (except you of course!)?

It would have to be the milk vending machine at Crocker's Dairy. You can't beat the flavour and the freshness. It's very popular for those reasons and definitely worth dropping in to

Website

www.isleofwightcheese.co.uk

Address Summary

Queenbower Dairy, Alverstone Road Sandown Isle of Wight PO36 0NZ