BBC One Countryfile features The Courtyard Dairy

BBC Food Programme Cheese Courtyard Dairy

BBC Radio 4: Food Programme. “Is our cheese heritage ancient history?”

17th April 2025

Andy & Kathy from The Courtyard Dairy was excited to be featured on BBC Radio 4’s “Food Programme” this week, in their episode on: “Is our cheese heritage ancient history?”. Discussing their research into British cheese and it’s evolution: past, present and future. They helped Sheila Dillon decode an ancient 112 page ancient vellum manuscript “A Pamflyt Compiled of Cheese, Contayninge the Differences, Nature, Qualities, and Goodness, of the Same” recently discovered by Leeds University and brought it to life. Using inspiration from their pamfylt and other historical references they handmade a recreation of an ancient cheese to the region: Courtyard Dairy Soft. Listen to it here: Find out more fascinating facts about cheese – simply sign up to The Courtyard Dairy monthly newsletter for regular exciting offers and interesting info. from the cheese-world. Sign up here.

BBC Radio 4: Food Programme. “The Forgotten Foods of Christmas”

21st July 2019

Andy (of The Courtyard Dairy), joined Dan Dan Saladino and food historian Ivan Day as they delved into the foods of Christmas past in this BBC Radio 4: Food Programme. “The Forgotten Foods of Christmas” Featuring Wensleydale cheese, and why historically it was eaten at Christmas with fruitcake, and detailing the exciting revival in farm-made Wensleydale cheese with the three farm cheesemakers: Fellstone, Stonebeck and Yoredale. Listen here: Find out more fascinating facts about cheese – simply sign up to The Courtyard Dairy monthly newsletter for regular exciting offers and interesting info. from the cheese-world. Sign up here.

BBC Radio 4: On Your Farm. “Great Yorkshire Cheese”

21st July 2019

Andy from The Courtyard Dairy was thrilled to be feature on BBC Radio 4’s “On Your Farm Programme” this week. The programme featured Andy talking all about the revival of farmhouse Yorkshire cheese, in particular the revival of Wensleydale cheese made by hand on the farm with an interview from Stonebeck makers, Andrew & Sally Hattan. Listen to it here: Find out more fascinating facts about cheese – simply sign up to The Courtyard Dairy monthly newsletter for regular exciting offers and interesting info. from the cheese-world. Sign up here.

A History of British Cheese – The 20th Century and the Eradication of Farmhouse Production

3rd December 2016

Despite the decline of farmhouse cheese production as a result of the industrial revolution, by the early 1900s there was still a reasonable amount of cheese being made on the farm throughout the UK. But that was about to change. Before the First World War there were over 3,500 farmhouse cheese-makers in the UK. By the end of the Second World War, barely 100 were still making cheese. The political turmoil throughout Europe that followed the First World War brought about significant changes in British cheese production. During the First World War much of farmhouse cheese production ceased. Following the war, many farmers didn’t bother to start producing cheese again, and those that did continued to struggle. The farming, market and social conditions that prevailed right through into the 1930s meant that specialist cheese-making remained uneconomical. The 1930s rise of unrest and growing Nazism within Europe led the British Government to realise it could no longer rely on imports from overseas, the colonies and the Empire in order to feed the nation. Britain had to become more self-sufficient, so the government introduced several key policies. One of these was the 1933 creation of the Milk Marketing Board (MMB) designed to…