Bibury Cheese: Why This Seasonal Sheep’s Milk Cheese Truly Excites Me

There are certain cheeses that genuinely excite me, and Bibury is absolutely one of them. British cheese is constantly evolving, quietly improving year on year, and it is makers like David Jowett who are moving it forward with such confidence and integrity. For me, King Stone Dairy stands among the very best cheesemakers working in Britain today.

We have loved selling their cheeses, particularly Burford and Rollright, both of which have become firm favourites with our customers. So when Bibury arrived, David’s first sheep’s milk cheese, I was genuinely delighted. It feels like a natural next step for the dairy and a beautiful expression of both the land and the maker behind it.

Bibury is a seasonal sheep’s milk cheese, made from late March and available from mid-summer through to late winter. The milk comes from a single flock at Sheaf House Farm in Gloucestershire, just up the road from the dairy, and that closeness is something you can taste. The cheese is semi-firm with a smooth, supple texture and a natural rind. It is rich and gently sweet, with aromas of meadow flowers, hay and hazelnuts, alongside softer notes of white chocolate and coconut. As the season progresses, deeper flavours emerge, including a subtle hint of caramelised lamb fat and a lovely floral lift that is so characteristic of good sheep’s milk.

Stylistically, Bibury is inspired by mountain sheep’s cheeses (think, Ossau Irary), made for ageing and slow enjoyment. It is generous but never overwhelming, complex yet beautifully balanced. This is not a cheese to rush.

Behind Bibury is David Jowett, a cheesemaker whose journey has taken him from culinary training into some of the most respected dairies in the UK and abroad. Today, at King Stone Dairy, his work is deeply rooted in regenerative, organic farming. The farm has followed low-input principles for nearly two decades, using diverse herbal leys to support soil health and biodiversity, and this care is clearly reflected in the milk and the resulting cheeses.

At home, I love Bibury as part of an elegant cheeseboard, where it can really shine. It pairs beautifully with light to medium-bodied red wines, something refined rather than powerful, allowing the gentle sweetness and nutty depth of the cheese to come through. Above all, this is a cheese for slow, thoughtful enjoyment, the kind that invites you to pause, taste properly, and appreciate just how good British cheese has become.

The Cheese Lady xx