THE CHEESEMAKERS

A team of local people, all passionate about what they do, work at our dairies in Dargate and Hastingleigh,
using age-old methods to produce the finest cheeses from the finest local milks.

  • Jane Bowyer

    Founder and owner, a champion of cheesemaking in Kent.

  • David

    Makes the award-winning soft cheeses and delivers all the goodies.

  • Julie

    Makes all the cheeses, does our telesales, farmers’ markets and shows.

  • Teresa

    Queen Bee at Dargate, organises everybody, packages the cheeses, and does Wye market.

  • Natasha

    Our trainee, perfecting the art of cheese and butter making as well as working at the Goods Shed and Faversham Farmers’ Market.

  • George

    Main man for the making of hard cheeses and butter, and helps out at the Goods Shed, beer festivals, shows and markets.

  • Matthew

    Our chief of cheese care, who strokes and tends to all the hard cheeses in the maturing room.

  • Kelly

    Jane’s daughter, busy learning the ropes across all aspects of the business.

Jane Bowyer already had over 20 years in the dairy business under her belt when she established Cheesemakers of Canterbury in 2007. She knew from her own experience that Kent was a county boasting excellent milk, cream and butter but that it was limited in locally produced, naturally rinded unpasteurised cheeses.

A cheesemaking couple in Wiltshire who were planning to retire passed on their skills, equipment, and the traditional recipe for Ashmore cheese, which began life in a smallholders’ text book by the North of Scotland College of Agriculture. Jane’s old dairy at Lamberhurst Farm, Dargate was fully refurbished and her small but merry band of “blessed cheesemakers” got down to work. Six months later, the first batch was ready to go to market.

THE PARLOUR

Click on the photos to learn more about the art and craft of changing milk into cheese.

Today our Ashmore cheeses continue to be made traditionally by hand from the unpasteurised milk of British Friesian cows, collected in our own tanker from nearby Debden Farm in Petham.

The naturally rinded hard Ashmore varieties have been joined by a hard goat’s cheese developed from the same recipe. Kelly’s Canterbury Goat is made from local goat’s milk from Ellie’s Dairy in Wychling. We also have a growing soft cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s cheese range, including Bowyer’s, Chaucers and Dumpy.

THE GOODS SHED

Come and meet us at The Goods Shed next to Canterbury West station to taste the best of British handmade cheeses.

You can find all our cheeses at our own outlet in The Goods Shed, Canterbury, among a mouthwatering selection of more than 50 British artisanal cheeses. We also sell Kentish crisps, chutney, apple juice and crackers. Gift vouchers are available as the perfect treat for the cheese lovers in your life.

Trade inquiries for our cheeses, Duskin apple juices, Korkers sausages, Kent Crisps, local chutneys and Zingiberi crackers can be made to jane@cheesemakersofcanterbury.co.uk or by calling 01227 751741. We offer free delivery on orders of £30 and above throughout much of north and east Kent and can arrange delivery anywhere.

You will also find our cheeses at farmers’ markets, delis, pubs and restaurants across Kent and beyond.