Hello Cheese lovers!
We followed our Devon hearts in taking the reins at Sharpham Cheese in July 2019, assuming responsibility for a fantastic team and highest quality products, in the knowledge that our lease would expire in 3 years and we would need to find a new home for the dairy. After 38 years of gentle growth and fairly plain sailing, we could not have predicted the challenges that we would face within a year of buying the business, mainly driven by the Covid pandemic, which led to plummeting sales and us losing our planned new dairy home on the Dartington Estate.
But we dug deep, and with the support of our loved ones, our amazing team and the quite brilliant Devon food community, we have bounced into 2025 in our new dairy, having delivered our biggest Christmas ever!
Although we are happily making and ripening our cheeses in our new home nestled in the countryside just a few miles from our old dairy, we need your help to finish off our project and to prepare for a busy year ahead.
Why We're Raising Funds:
As the UK’s first cheesemaking B Corp business, we are focused on minimising our impact on the planet, and as part of our decarbonising strategy, we want to implement renewable energy use and introduce water recycling. Also, we have managed to move much of our equipment from the old dairy, which now blends in with many new additions, but we still need a few bits to get fully up and running.
We’re asking for your support to help us fund:
- New Cheese-Making Equipment: New milk holding tank and draining & turning tables will allow us to increase our production while maintaining the artisanal touch that makes Sharpham Dairy special.
- Renewable Energy: We have a large roof and space for an invertor and batteries that would allow us to source most of our electricity through solar energy. We have planning permission and a supplier primed and ready for PV installation!
- Recycling Water: We use water to heat milk and curds and to keep our dairy sparkling clean and we have plans to polish it up and reuse it, rather than sending it down the drain, but need special processing equipment.
The Impact:
This investment will not only help Sharpham Dairy meet demand but also allow us to:
- Create Jobs: With growth comes the opportunity to create new jobs within our local community, giving back to the people who have supported us for so many years.
- Sustainability: As we grow, we want to ensure we’re doing so responsibly. New equipment and improved processes will help us run more efficiently, reduce waste, and minimize our environmental impact.
- Innovation: We’ll be able to experiment with new flavours and products, using modern equipment to stay at the forefront of the artisan dairy industry.
How You Can Help:
We’re inviting you to be part of our story by supporting our crowdfunding campaign. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Sharpham Cheese, a local community member, or someone passionate about supporting sustainable, high-quality food production, your contribution will make a real difference.
In return, we have some amazing rewards for our supporters, including:
- Limited-edition products & merchandise
- Behind-the-scenes tours of our dairy
- Special cheese-making + partner workshops with our expert team
- Once in a lifetime opportunities for you, your family, friends and team
Everyone who ‘joins the herd’ will get their name displayed at the dairy forever.
Your support will help Sharpham Dairy continue to thrive for years to come. Together, we can ensure that small, sustainable businesses like ours have the tools they need to grow and succeed.
As the UK’s first cheesemaking B Corp, we are a business built on relationships, not transactions and having respect for our wonderful environment.
Join us in supporting Sharpham Dairy – where passion, tradition, and innovation come together, and please share with your cheesy friends!