To learn the difference between a good cheese and a great cheese, look to Neal’s Yard Dairy. The goal of this London-based company is simple: to sell the very best British cheeses produced on small-scale farms, where cheesemaking is still regarded as a craft. Neal’s Yard succeeds by cultivating relationships with the cheesemakers and buying directly from them. Then the company allows the cheeses to mature in its humidity and temperature-controlled cellars, selling the cheeses only when they reach peak condition. Customers can be sure that any Neal’s Yard selection represents the highest level of artisanal cheesemaking today.

The Neal’s Yard name refers to a courtyard in the heart of London where the company set up shop in 1979. Originally the company made fresh cheeses, yogurt and crème fraîche to sell to customers, but within a year began buying cheeses from farms throughout the British Isles.

Over the years, Neal’s Yard Dairy formed strong relationships with cheesemakers, and that communication has served as a guiding principle. By visiting farms, talking to cheesemakers and buying directly from them, the company understands the products intimately. Neal’s Yard recognizes that the process of ripening a cheese is complex, and there are subtle variations in any cheese from one day to the next. Through first-hand experience, the company knows how to select a cheese for sale at its prime moment.

Neal’s Yard Dairy also strives to educate customers about its cheese selections and cheesemaking in general. Through tastings at the company's two retail stores in London, consumers learn how specific varieties are made and offer their opinions on texture and flavor. Neal’s Yard then passes this information on to the cheesemakers to complete the circle of communication.

Owner Randolph Hodgson still spends most of his time visiting farms and sampling the cheesemakers' products. The company's selections encompass hundreds of varieties, including Colston Bassett Stilton, Westcombe Cheddar and Hawes Double Gloucester. We are proud to offer our customers a selection of the superb cheeses specially chosen by Neal’s Yard Dairy.