The Beenleigh Blue is made by Ticklemore Cheese Ltd and was created by Robin Congdon, who, in the 70’s, was one of the first pioneers in reviving the tradition of sheep milking in the UK. His first cheese creations were small soft cheeses, made from the milk of just 30 sheep in Exeter. After a few years, he partnered up with Maurice Ash and moved to a larger farm within the Dartington Hall Estate, alongside the river Dart, where the Beenleigh Blue was soon born. The Beenleigh is named after the hamlet in which is was first made.
The Harbourne, a goat’s milk version of the same cheese, was created not long afterwards and was named after the tributary of the Dart, which flows through Beenleigh. Years later, the Devon Blue was created using cow’s milk from a neighbouring farm.
Robin’s original recipe blue cheese recipe was based on one for Roquefort, using a scraping of mould from a visit to one of the Roquefort caves in France. He even built a cellar back in England, to mimic the conditions under which Roquefort is aged.
Robin built a larger cheese dairy when speciality cheeses rose in popularity in the 80’s and 90’s and also ran his own cheese shop in Totnes for 20 years. In 2002, Ben Harris, whose background was on a dairy farm and then in restaurants, joined the dairy, and in 2023, he became Director of Ticklemore Cheese, now running the business with his wife, Laura.
The milk for the Beenleigh Blue is sourced from Tom and Helen Garland in Exeter. Their happy sheep graze on pasture by day and then are fed fresh grass in their barns at night. When necessary, they are also offered maize, beans, oats, sugar beet and haulage to ensure they have a nutritious and complete diet.