Our Christmas orders are now closed. You can still buy our Cheese Subscriptions to start in January, as well as book our courses and tasting events. If you want to purchase vouchers you can do so until the 20th December but please note that it can take up to 48 hours for the vouchers to be emailed to you as we process these manually.
We have a full counter of cheese in our shop in Pangbourne so you can still come in and purchase items in store
£23.50
For me, White Nancy really sums up what’s exciting about British artisan cheese. It’s a lovely mix of tradition, creativity, and flavours that are easy to love. Its Somerset roots, those gentle yoghurt and mushroom notes, and its creamy texture all add up to a cheese that’s just as good for sharing at the table as it is for sparking a conversation.
Whether you’re new to goat’s cheese or a seasoned cheese lover, White Nancy is a refined but friendly choice. And honestly, it’s a great excuse to gather some friends, open a bottle, and enjoy some really good cheese together.
White Nancy is a lovely goat’s cheese from White Lake Cheese down in Somerset. It’s the sort of cheese that grabs your attention straight away with its snowy white rind, and the flavour is just as gentle and mellow as it looks. For me, it’s a great example of what British artisan cheesemakers do best: a bit of flair, plenty of care, and something that always looks good on a cheeseboard or at a get-together with friends.
Its name comes from White Nancy, a white stone monument on Kerridge Hill in Bollington, Cheshire. This is where Pete, one of the cheese’s creators, hails from. The monument, built in 1817 to mark the Battle of Waterloo, was originally a summer house. If you’re ever in the area, it’s a lovely walk to go and visit it!
White Lake Cheese was started back in 2004 by Pete Humphries and Roger Longman, and you’ll find them at Bagborough Farm in Pylle, Somerset. They have a herd of mostly French Alpine goats, all very well looked after and fed a carefully managed diet, which, of course, makes for excellent milk. They’re known for making some fantastic goat, sheep, and cow’s milk cheeses.
White Nancy was one of their first cheeses, and it’s become a bit of a classic. It really sums up their style, a mix of traditional methods and a dash of modern creativity.
The team at White Lake are always trying out new things, playing around with textures, flavours, and how long they age their cheeses. White Nancy is a great example; it’s easy to enjoy but still has a bit of sophistication.
At first glance, White Nancy looks like your classic soft, white, bloomy-rind goat’s cheese, but there’s so much more going on once you slice into it. It’s a neat 500g round cheese with a snowy white rind that just begs to be cut into.
Inside, it starts off quite firm and crumbly, but if you let it ripen for a bit, it softens up beautifully and turns much creamier. At this point its bloomy rind can develop fluorescent patches. Not only do these look great, but they taste great too!
On the nose it is fresh and grassy, with a gentle lactic sweetness. If you let it mature a little, you’ll spot a subtle earthiness coming through too. At first bite you’ll notice that White Nancy is gentle and mellow, with a delicate yoghurt-like acidity and a soft, creamy vanilla note. There’s a perfect balance of tang and creaminess. As it ages, you’ll find a bit of mushroom-yoghurt complexity near the rind, which adds depth but never takes away from its fresh, bright character.
That balance of tang and creaminess is what makes White Nancy a real crowd-pleaser, whether you’re new to goat’s cheese or a bit of a cheese fanatic (like me).
Jen’s note: We had a White Nancy on our cheese wedding cake as it is one of our favourite cheeses. It’s the perfect shape to nestle at the top of the tower (although we also snuck two more cheeses on top of it…!)
Sizes and Prices
Storage Advice
Delivery and Collection
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, salt, starter cultures, vegetarian rennet, mould cultures.
Normal opening Monday – Saturday 9am – 4pm until:
Sunday 22nd 9am – 4pm
Monday 23rd 9am – 4pm
Christmas Eve 9am – 12pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day Closed
Friday 27th Closed
Saturday 28th 9am – 4pm
Sunday 29th Closed
Monday 30th 9am – 2pm
Tuesday 31st 9am – 2pm
New Year’s Day Closed
Thursday 2nd January Closed
Friday 3rd 9am – 4pm then open as normal
After Christmas our courier delivery slots start from 8th January.
