Overview

Thornby Moor Dairy was established in 1979 as a specialist cheesemaker whereby a basic smallholder recipe was adapted to make Allerdale cheese using raw milk from a herd of goats. The dairy has now expanded and is based at Crofton Hall where a tour and cheese tasting session has been organised. The tour will include the history of the dairy along with the processes that are undertaken. Refreshments will be provided.

Speaker

Leonie Fairbairn

Thornby Moor Dairy was established as a specialist cheesemaker in 1979 by Carolyn Fairbairn. She set up a dairy in the basement of the family home, a converted Solway bank barn. Entirely self taught in the art of cheesemaking, she began by adapting a basic smallholder recipe to make Allerdale cheese using raw milk from her own herd of goats.

Encouraged by a farming neighbour, production of raw cow's milk cheeses soon followed and Cumberland Farmhouse was born. Designed to be a territorial for Cumbria; an everyday cheese noted for its buttery texture. The Solway Plain, which lies to the north of the Lake District, was once renowned for buttermaking. In 1989 they became a founder member of the Specialist Cheesemakers Association whose Code of Best Practice they adhere to in the production of their cheeses.

Over the years more cheeses have been developed using milk from both cows and goats and, from time to time, Ewe's milk. In 1994 the Dairy expanded into its present premises at Crofton Hall, near Thursby and Carolyn was joined in the business by her daughter Leonie.

Today, Carolyn continues to make cheese 5-6 days a week with the help of three assistant cheesemakers and Leonie deals with all the sales, marketing and administration.

The material presented at this event has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter's own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Cumbria Members Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.