Burt’s Cheese

Burt’s Cheese is an independent artisan cheesemaker based at The Orchards Farm near Holmes Chapel in Cheshire. The business was founded in 2009 by cheesemaker Claire Burt, who began experimenting with cheesemaking at her kitchen table after a career in the dairy industry. Early success came when her Burt’s Blue cheese won Gold at the International Cheese Show in Nantwich in 2010, encouraging her to develop the venture into a full-time business.

Today the dairy operates from the home of Bidlea Dairy, where Claire works alongside cheesemaker (and now co-owner) Tom Partridge to produce a range of small-batch cheeses using locally sourced pasteurised milk. The team focuses on hand-crafted production and careful maturation, shaping each cheese into mini truckles or larger wheels and supplying farm shops, specialist retailers and restaurants across the UK.

Core cheeses

Burt’s Blue
The flagship cheese, Burt’s Blue is a soft mould-ripened blue cheese with a creamy paste and delicate blue veining. Each wheel is hand-pierced during maturation to encourage the development of the blue mould that gives the cheese its distinctive flavour and marbled appearance.

Drunken Burt
A variation on the original recipe, Drunken Burt is washed in cider during maturation, creating subtle fruity and oaky notes that complement the richness of the blue cheese. As the cheese ages, its texture softens and flavours mellow, developing a smooth, silky paste.

Bidlea Blue
Bolstered by winning the Blue Category at the 2024 Affineur of the Year competition, and after moving production to Bidlea Dairy, Claire created a new cheese - Bidlea Blue - a firmer blue cheese inspired by Cheshire traditions. It begins with a slightly crumbly texture and fresh, yogurty notes when young, gradually developing deeper earthy and mushroom flavours as it matures.

Alongside its core range, Burt’s Cheese regularly experiments with seasonal and limited-edition cheeses such as DiVine, Burt’s Blanc and Little Burtle, reflecting a philosophy that cheesemaking is an evolving craft driven by experimentation and maturation.

With multiple awards from competitions including the British Cheese Awards and International Cheese Awards, Burt’s Cheese has established itself as a respected presence within the UK artisan cheese sector. The dairy also participates in cheesemaking classes and industry innovation initiatives such as the Academy of Cheese Affineur of the Year.