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About Barber’s farmhouse cheesemakers

The Barber family have been making cheddar cheese for longer than anyone else worldwide. So, when it comes to combining the finest West Country milk with traditional manufacturing methods to produce award-winning cheese, we'd like to think that we've learnt a thing or two.

In 1833, our ancestor Daniel Barber began making cheese on his Somerset farm. Nearly two centuries later and we’re still here, now the oldest surviving cheddar-makers in the world. We’ve made a few changes along the way, but we’re still committed to making the finest farmhouse cheddar.

To make the best cheese, we need the best West Country milk. Our dairy cows graze the lush pastures of Somerset and Dorset to produce rich, creamy milk that we transform into PDO-accredited cheddar. We also work with many of our neighbouring farmers who supply us with additional milk and we’re proud to support our local farming community in this way.

We’re also the sole guardians of the country’s last remaining traditional cheese starter cultures — the ‘friendly’ bacteria that start the cheesemaking process and contribute to the final texture, aroma and taste. Only by using these cultures can we be sure that we’re making true West Country cheddar.

Since 1833, we’ve embraced new technology and innovation. However, we still rely on the expertise and instincts of our cheesemakers to ensure our cheese is the best it can be. We ‘cheddar’ our curds by hand and mature our cheese until it reaches peak condition.

We believe that it’s this attention to detail and authenticity that allows our cheese to develop the rich, full flavour of traditional cheddar. That and nearly 200 years of experience, of course.