North Yorkshire cheesemaker Shepherds Purse has been awarded the highest possible accolade at the 2026 Great Taste Awards, with its Bluemin White cheese receiving an exceptional 3 Great Taste Stars for a second time in its history.
Awarded by the Guild of Fine Food, the coveted 3-star rating is reserved for only the very best products entered into the awards each year, placing Shepherds Purse’s Bluemin White among the top 125 food and drink products in the UK.
Katie Matten, Joint Managing Director of Shepherds Purse, said:
“Receiving 3 Great Taste Stars for Bluemin White is an incredible honour and one we’re immensely proud of. This award reflects the passion, dedication and expertise of our whole team and seeing that cheese now recognised for a second time with the highest accolade at the Great Taste Awards is an incredibly proud moment for everyone at Shepherds Purse.”
The award marks a particularly proud milestone for the Bell family, as Bluemin White was the first cheese created by second-generation cheesemaker Katie Matten (née Bell) and went onto win its first 3 Star award in 2013. Developed on the family’s North Yorkshire farm in 2010, the cheese represents the next generation of cheesemaking at Shepherds Purse, carrying forward the craft pioneered by founder Judy Bell MBE, who established the business in 1987.
Made in small truckles using traditional techniques, Bluemin White is carefully matured in Shepherds Purse’s purpose-built ripening stores. Unlike many blue cheeses, it is never spiked, meaning it develops no internal blue veins. Instead, it forms a beautiful velvety blue rind while ripening gently from the outside in, creating an irresistibly rich, creamy centre with a luxurious melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Once the cheeses have matured in the first ripening room, they are carefully wrapped and transferred to a second store, where they continue to develop their distinctive nutty flavour and wonderfully soft texture.
This meticulous approach to cheesemaking has seen Bluemin White build an impressive awards pedigree over the years, with honours including Gold at the 2025 British & Irish Cheese Awards, Champion Speciality Cheese at the 2023 Great Yorkshire Show, Gold at the 2017 World Cheese Awards and Super Gold at the 2015 World Cheese Awards.
To celebrate this remarkable success, Shepherds Purse has launched a limited-edition Baked Bluemin Box, priced at £45 and was created to showcase the cheese at its indulgent best.
While Bluemin White is equally at home on a cheeseboard, it transforms into something wonderfully rich and gooey when baked. The celebratory gift box has been carefully curated to create the perfect baked cheese experience.
At its heart is an exclusive handcrafted ceramic baking dish, created in partnership with a small, family-run ceramics studio just a few miles from the Shepherds Purse dairy in North Yorkshire. Each dish has been hand-thrown and decorated individually, making every piece unique.
The Baked Bluemin Box includes:
• Three 170g Bluemin White cheeses
• A handcrafted ceramic baking dish
• Annabel’s Yorkshire Blossom Honey
• Miller’s Toast Cranberry & Raisin crackers
Every box is carefully packed by the Shepherds Purse team and delivered in the company’s chilled gift packaging, featuring sustainable, reusable wool insulation to ensure the cheese arrives in perfect condition.
Matten adds: “Bluemin White is such a versatile cheese but baking really transforms it into something wonderfully indulgent. We wanted to celebrate this achievement by creating a gift that showcases not only the cheese itself, but also the craftsmanship of another local Yorkshire business. The result is something we hope people will enjoy sharing with family and friends, and a keepsake they’ll treasure long after the cheese has been enjoyed.”
The limited-edition Baked Bluemin Box is available while stocks last from the Shepherds Purse online shop.
Baked Bluemin White Recipe
Bluemin White is delicious baked in a ramekin, like a baked brie, until the middle is
warm and gooey. It’s already full of delicious flavour, but if you wanted, you could
add a drizzle of honey, some sprigs of thyme and a handful of walnuts, before diving
in with crusty bread and crackers.
Ingredients
170g Bluemin White
3 Tbsp runny honey
2 Thyme sprigs
10 Walnuts, chopped
One crusty baguette
Crackers / bread sticks
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 or heat your air fryer to 180C for 4 mins.
2. Unwrap the Bluemin White from its packaging and place into a ramekin or
other ovenproof dish. Slash the cheese a few times and top with thyme sprigs
and chopped walnuts.
3. Place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 mins, or if using an air-
fryer, cook for 15-20 mins until gooey.
4. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey whilst still warm
5. Serve immediately with toasted baguette and crackers for dipping
Tips: Try adding a splash of vermouth, dry white wine or kirsch before baking for an
added kick of flavour.
