In the heart of the Dorset countryside, just outside Sturminster Newton, you'll find Woodbridge Farm which has been home to the Davies family for over 40 years.

In the early 1980s, Michael Davies resurrected Dorset Blue Vinny using a 300 year old recipe. He started in the farmhouse garage and used the kitchen pantry as a maturing room, turning the walls, floor and even the cornflakes blue with mould. He was soon given an ultimatum by his wife to move out to the old cow byre where we continue to make the cheese now.

Richard took over running the farm from his father, Michael Davies, in 1989, when Mike moved on to produce the unique Dorset Blue Vinny Cheese full time.

Woodbridge Farm is home to 270 Holstein Friesian cows, on the 580 acre Stock Estate at Stock Gaylard. Richard farms on the heavy Oxford clay soil which can be challenging to the farm, growing 140 acres of corn and 100 acres of maize each year.

We calve all year round to produce a continued milk supply which goes into making Dorset Blue Vinny Cheese, which is also made at the farm. Each cow produces approx. 9,000 litres of milk per year

It is still very much a family run business, and employs 3 full-time people to help run the farm. There’s always something going on as it is home to both Dorset Blue Vinny Cheese and The Dorset Blue Soup Co.

The Davies family have been making the Dorset Blue Vinny at Woodbridge Farm for almost 40 years. Although we can't give away all our secrets, here's a little sneak peak into how we make our delicious cheese...

Dorset Blue Vinny takes over 24 hours to make. Each morning, we use fresh milk from our herd of 270 Friesian dairy cows. Once it’s been pasteurised, hand-skimmed and the starter culture, rennet and penicillin mould added, it’s ready to be made into cheese…!

Once the milk coagulates (sets) it is cut into small pieces before being left overnight, the next morning, 'Little Miss Muffet's favourite… curds and whey have formed. The whey is drained off leaving the curd to be ground, salted and put into moulds where it stays for a few days, before being moved to the maturing room.

The cheeses need to be turned by hand every day for the first few weeks and then once a week after that. The cheeses are spiked with long narrow pins to allow air into the cheese which helps the mould grow and flavour to develop. It can take up to 20 weeks for the cheese to mature into the Dorset Blue Vinny that we all know and love.

Once the cheese has matured and ripened, it's FINALLY ready to be munched..!

In 1998, we were the first food producer to be awarded PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status and are the only producers of Dorset Blue Vinny.

Alongside our Dorset Blue Vinny Cheese we also make a small range of handmade chutneys which make the perfect accompaniment for any cheese board. Whether you like something sweeter, spicier or something completely unique, we’ve got a chutney for you.

After a wet October farmers market, Emily, the daughter of the founder Michael Davies, returned to Woodbridge Farm, unfortunately with leftover pieces of Dorset Blue Vinny. She decided to make some soup and threw in the leftovers... The Dorset Blue Soup Company was born! We are very happy to make bespoke flavours for larger quantities.