Neal’s Yard Dairy

This is a love letter to Neal’s Yard Dairy.

In January 2022, still in the grip of COVID-era precautions, I visited the Arches at Neal’s Yard Dairy in Bermondsey, London. Happily for me, my boss at Boxcarr Handmade Cheese, Sam Genke, introduced me to David Lockwood. He is the head of NYD and graciously gave me a tour. As someone new to both cheese and London, my mind was completely blown.

Neal’s Yard Dairy began in the late 1970s in a little corner of Covent Garden called Neal’s Yard, where a cluster of small, high-quality food businesses had taken root. So Randolph Hodgson founded the shop there in 1979. Of course, he didn’t set out to revive British farmhouse cheesemaking, but it wouldn’t be what it is today without him or the incredible people who followed in his footsteps.

Neal’s Yard Dairy is everything I hope to be, in my own smaller way: a passionate supporter of artisanal cheesemakers. Now, as the British Cheese Buyer at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I get to work with Neal’s Yard on a regular basis. It’s always a highlight of my week.

What they do

They do more than sell cheese. They go out to the farms, taste and select the best wheels, and bring them back to London to mature and share with customers like me. But they also serve as a lifeline for the cheesemakers themselves. Of course, just like here in the U.S., it’s incredibly difficult for small-scale farmers and cheesemakers in the UK to make a living. Those of us on the outside—buyers, retailers, eaters—have to be part of the support system. These cheesemakers are part of our community and culture. And they’re constantly working to improve the health of their animals and the land.

I saw innovations at Neal’s Yard, from recycling water for temperature control, to their meticulous labeling system for affinage. Clearly, their reputation is well deserved. That visit was a kind of pilgrimage for me. It confirmed that I was on the right path. At the time, I didn’t know exactly where it was leading, only that it was paved with cheese—and here I am.

Neal’s Yard Dairy Inspires

That visit planted a seed in me—Crumb & Rind is my way of carrying that spirit forward. Through tastings, classes, and collaborations, I hope to connect people not just to delicious cheese, but to the people and places behind it. Just like Neal’s Yard Dairy inspires me, I hope to help others fall in love with cheese—and the world it comes from.