HERO CHEESE Ewe-Blu-Ty
Peter Morgan
Where Curiosity Became Craft
Some cheesemakers inherit generations of family knowledge. Others spend years learning in famous dairies. For Peter at Book & Bucket Cheese, it all began with something much simpler: a book and a bucket.
Managing a dairy producing yoghurt, Peter became increasingly frustrated watching surplus sheep's milk being frozen, knowing the quality would never be quite the same once thawed. Rather than accept waste, he decided to teach himself cheesemaking. Armed with books, advice from respected mentors including Charlie Turnbull and Ken McFarland, and plenty of determination, he started experimenting.
"The rest is bucket science," they joked.
The name stuck.
Today, Book & Bucket Cheese has become one of Britain's most exciting artisan cheesemakers, combining traditional craftsmanship with a willingness to challenge convention.
Their latest creation, Ewe-Blue-Ty, perfectly captures that philosophy. This bold sheep's milk blue is anything but ordinary. Instead of following the traditional blueprint for blue cheese, Peter uses cultures more commonly found in hard cheeses, cuts the curd into unusually large cubes, retains a higher moisture content and introduces generous amounts of blue mould to create a cheese that develops beautifully over around three months.
The result is a cheese with remarkable character. Sweet, rich sheep's milk forms the opening note before a gentle acidity lifts the palate. Then comes the blue: powerful, lingering and beautifully balanced. Underneath a rugged natural rind, the paste softens almost like a Brie, delivering increasing intensity as you work towards the centre. It's unapologetically bold — a cheese Peter happily describes as "a bit like Marmite"; you'll either fall in love with it or keep coming back just to understand it.
Ewe-Blu-Ty
That willingness to innovate extends beyond the dairy.
Book & Bucket works with carefully selected local farms, sourcing Jersey milk from an exclusive herd just a few miles away while collecting exceptional sheep's milk from trusted producer Tom Garland near Exeter. The emphasis is on low-input farming, healthy soils, pasture-based systems and outstanding animal welfare. Although not certified organic, the focus is firmly on producing milk that reflects its landscape.
The business is growing steadily too. This year production is expected to reach around 65 tonnes, supported by expansion into new premises that will allow more maturation space, improved packing facilities and room for future cheesemakers to join the team. Yet Peter remains determined that every cheese will continue to be made by hand.
Education is equally important. Whether hosting cheesemaking workshops, pairing events, or taking British artisan cheese aboard Cunard and P&O cruise ships, Book & Bucket believes every conversation is an opportunity to introduce more people to the richness and diversity of British cheese.
It is a philosophy built on curiosity rather than convention.
From one book, one bucket and a determination not to waste good milk has grown a dairy producing some of the country's most distinctive cheeses. It is proof that innovation doesn't always require reinventing tradition — sometimes it simply begins by asking, "What if we tried something different?"