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

A picture showing two Brightwell Ash cheeses. They are positioned on a wooden board with a green background

Brightwell Ash Cheese

£12.00

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Brightwell Ash is a wonderful celebration of custom and place, simple milk, carefully handled, turning into a cheese that’s lively, elegant, and full of character. It’s the sort of cheese that keeps evolving, just like the people and the land behind it.
  • Goats’ milk cheese
  • Carmarthenshire, Wales
  • Medium
  • Pasteurised milk
  • Vegetarian rennet
  • Available as a whole small cheese
Description

Description

Brightwell Ash Cheese

About Brightwell Ash

Brightwell Ash is one of those cheeses that always catches the eye on a cheeseboard. It’s an artisan goat’s cheese with a good few awards to its name, and I can absolutely see why. There’s something about its appearance, striking and just a little bit mysterious, and the flavour is every bit as memorable. It’s a lovely reminder that a handful of simple ingredients, treated with care, can become something really special.
From Oxfordshire to Carmarthenshire

Brightwell Ash is made by Fraser Norton and Rachel Yarrow. The pair began cheesemaking in 2014 having been inspired by an article they read about cheese whilst on holiday. It was a complete career change for them both, but it has proved to be a successful one. Neither of them started out as farmers. Rachel was an English teacher (weirdly, she taught our son at school), and Fraser worked in project management (also weirdly, Fraser worked with Ali before cheese came into all our lives). They decided to give cheesemaking a go and build a life around good food.

By 2015, Fraser and Rachel had become tenant farmers at Earth Trust Farm in Oxfordshire, a brilliant scheme that helps new farmers get started without the massive cost of buying land. It was on these lovely South Oxfordshire rolling hills that Brightwell Ash was developed and perfected. The cheese takes its name from the nearby village of Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, and for a long time, it was very much a taste of that landscape.

After nearly ten years at Earth Trust, Fraser and Rachel made a big move in January 2025. They packed up their goats as well as all of the dairy buildings and set off for their very own farm near Llangadog in Carmarthenshire, Wales. This was more than just a change of scenery; it was a return to family roots, as Rachel’s family had farmed in the area back in the 1970s.

 

A Taste of Wales

Brightwell Ash is made with milk from Fraser and Rachel’s own herd of Anglo-Nubian goats. These are the very cute goats with the long floppy ears. The breed is known for its luscious, creamy milk, and it is brilliant for cheesemaking. You can really taste the quality of milk in the cheese. Everything Fraser and Rachel do is small-scale, using traditional, slow methods, which make their cheeses excel.

Even though it’s now made in Wales, Brightwell Ash still keeps its Oxfordshire roots in its name. In its new home, it’s called Onnen Brightwell; ‘onnen’ means ash tree in Welsh, which is a nice nod to both the local landscape and the traditional ash-rind style of the cheese.

 

Brightwell Ash – Jen’s Tasting Notes

When it’s young, usually around three to four weeks old, the inside is snowy white and wonderfully silky. The first bite yields bright citrus and fresh acidity, with a lovely juiciness that keeps things lively yet rich.

As it matures, the texture near the rind softens and becomes even creamier, and the flavours deepen. You might pick up hints of hazelnut and a gentle nuttiness, while the citrus notes mellow into something earthier and more complex. The ash rind brings a delicate minerality and tang that works beautifully with the cheese’s natural sweetness.

 

How to Serve and Pair Brightwell Ash
  • Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
  • Classic pairings: I love Brightwell Ash with a crisp, mineral white like a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc. It really echos the cheese’s freshness.
  • Something a little different: If you’re more or a beer or cider drinker, a refreshing pale ale or a good dry Somerset cider will bring out the cheese’s citrus and herbal notes.
  • On the plate: I’d go for simple artisan crackers, a slice of sourdough, or a bit of baguette; just enough crunch to set off the cheese without stealing the show.
  • In the kitchen: This cheese is really at its best when on a cheeseboard but if you put it under a grill for a minute or two the flavours accentuate.

 

Jen’s note: Lots of cheeses use ash for tradition or looks, but with goat’s cheeses like Brightwell Ash, it actually serves a purpose; it helps balance the acidity and encourages the rind to develop properly. What I find fascinating is that the natural moulds and the ash rind can change with the seasons, so no two batches taste quite the same. The subtle differences show what the goats have been eating and the conditions in the fields, making each wheel a small snapshot of its time and place.

 

Buying Brightwell Ash
  • Brand or Producer: Norton & Yarrow
  • Product name: Brightwell Ash
  • Milk: Goat
  • Country: Wales
  • Region: Carmarthenshire
  • Strength: Medium
  • Vegetarian: Yes
  • Suitable for pregnancy: No
  • Allergens: MILK

 

Sizes and Prices

  • Sold as a whole little cheese, £12.00

 

Storage Advice

  • Keep refrigerated
  • Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
  • Remove from the fridge before serving
  • Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening

 

Delivery and Collection

  • UK wide courier delivery
  • Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
  • Free local delivery available for selected postcodes

 

Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)

MILK, salt, starter cultures, vegetarian rennet, vegetable ash, ripening cultures.

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Christmas Opening Hours

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.