Description
Brightwell Ash Cheese
About Brightwell Ash
Brightwell Ash is difficult to miss. A little log of snowy-white goat’s cheese covered in a dark ash rind, it looks striking on a cheeseboard before you’ve even taken a bite.
Made by Fraser Norton and Rachel Yarrow of Norton & Yarrow Cheese, Brightwell Ash is made from the pasteurised milk of their own Anglo-Nubian goats. Underneath that dramatic rind you’ll find a beautifully silky cheese with fresh citrus flavours when young, becoming softer, nuttier and more savoury as it matures.
If you’ve already read about Sinodun Hill, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of what Fraser and Rachel do.
Brightwell Ash gives me another reason why.
Why Cover a Cheese in Ash?
This is where things get really interesting.
The dark coating on Brightwell Ash is food-grade vegetable ash, and it isn’t simply there because it looks good.
The tradition of using ash on cheese goes back centuries, particularly in French goat’s cheeses. Historically, ash was a useful way of protecting the surface of a young cheese. Today we understand rather more about what’s happening: the ash helps alter the conditions on the surface of the cheese, reducing acidity and encouraging the rind to develop.
And yes, you eat it.
As Brightwell matures, that dramatic black coating gradually becomes covered by the developing rind, so a young cheese can look quite different from a more mature one.
It’s one of those lovely bits of cheesemaking where something that looks decorative is actually part of how the cheese develops.
From Brightwell to Wales
Brightwell Ash takes its name from Brightwell-cum-Sotwell in Oxfordshire, close to Earth Trust Farm where Fraser and Rachel first established Norton & Yarrow Cheese.
In January 2025, they moved their entire cheesemaking operation — including their goats and even their dairy buildings — to their own farm near Llangadog in Carmarthenshire.
The cheese may now be made in Wales, but its name keeps that connection to the place where it began.
There’s also a lovely Welsh addition to the story. Onnen means ash tree in Welsh, so the name Onnen Brightwell brings together the cheese’s past, its new home and, rather neatly, its distinctive ash-covered rind.
Brightwell Ash – Jen’s Tasting Notes
Cut into a young Brightwell Ash and the contrast is gorgeous: that dark rind surrounding an almost snowy-white centre.
The texture is silky and smooth, with a lovely freshness to it. The first flavours I notice are citrus and a clean, bright acidity, followed by the natural sweetness and richness of the goat’s milk.
But don’t just eat the middle.
The rind is an important part of Brightwell Ash, so make sure you taste the whole cheese together. The ash itself isn’t there to give you a great wallop of flavour; instead, it’s part of the rind development and that rind brings another layer of earthiness and savouriness to the fresh cheese underneath.
As Brightwell matures, the paste immediately beneath the rind begins to soften while the centre can remain slightly firmer. The fresh citrus flavours become rounder and I start to find gentle hazelnut and savoury notes coming through.
I love tasting Brightwell at different stages because it really does demonstrate how much a cheese can change in a relatively short space of time.
If you get the opportunity, buy one young and another slightly more mature and taste them side by side. That’s my kind of experiment.
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: A Loire Sauvignon Blanc is a brilliant match. Its fresh acidity and citrus flavours work beautifully alongside the bright, tangy goat’s cheese.
- Something a little different: Try a good dry cider. The apple, acidity and gentle fruitiness are lovely with Brightwell without overwhelming it.
- On the plate: Keep it simple. Some good sourdough, a few plain crackers or a piece of baguette are really all you need. I’d rather taste the cheese than bury it underneath chutney.
- In the kitchen: I think Brightwell Ash deserves to be eaten as it is, but if you’ve got a little left, try briefly grilling it on a slice of sourdough. The cheese softens beautifully and those more savoury flavours really come through.
Jen’s note: The ash on Brightwell isn’t just there to make it look pretty. It helps create the right conditions for the rind to develop — and watching that rind change as the cheese matures is fascinating. It’s another reminder that cheese isn’t a finished product the moment the cheesemaker makes it; it continues to change right up until the moment we eat it.
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.
