Milk is, of course, the key ingredient of our cheeses. We are incredibly blessed to source our milk from Rotherfield Park Estate, just a few miles from our creamery. The outstanding quality of the milk is no accident of nature – maintaining and sustaining the pasture takes commitment and planning. Quality care and nutrition is of course critical for the very best milk!
A progressive Estate, Rotherfield is at the forefront of conservation across all aspects of their farming. The rich and diverse pastures are a result of Rotherfield’s regenerative farming system that ensures the soil is continuously improved.
The traditional, mixed estate is both an arable and dairy farm with two herds of cows. The vision is to look at long term improvements and sustainable methods that encourage wildlife and insect numbers. There is a lot of grassland, much in permanent pasture, that needs nurturing. The addition of herbal grazing leys have hugely cut our use of artificial nitrogen and helped boost soil health and fertility as well as providing a more varied habitat for insects and wildlife to thrive.
Stacey Hedges, founder, Hampshire Cheese Company, said: “I am regularly in touch daily with the Herdsman at Rotherfield to discuss the milk produced by the wonderful Montbeliarde, Swedish Red and Holstein-Freisian cows. The outstanding quality milk is a key component of the complex and long lasting flavours enjoyed by lovers of Tunworth and Winslade around the world”.
