Courtyard Dairy

Yorkshire Dales National Park


This cheesemongers and cafe in a huddle of old stone barns is the place to come for farmhouse cheeses in the Yorkshire Dales. Owners Andy and Kathy Swinscoe are passionate supporters of small-scale producers, and deli staff are eager to hand out tasters. The cafe upstairs in the eaves of the barn slathers the cheese all over its menu.

Come here to try ‘Raclette Anglaise’ and inventive grilled cheese sandwich wedges such as Wensleydale and caramelised carrot chutney. Don’t miss the delicious rich fruit cake with a slab of local Dales cheese: a Yorkshire tradition. There’s also a small, hugely informative museum about cheesemaking in Yorkshire, maturing rooms you can peer into, and Andy runs one-day cheesemaking courses (£120) on-site; check the website for dates.


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