Description
Sinodun Hill Cheese
About Sinodun Hill
I should probably declare my bias right at the beginning: Sinodun Hill is one of my all-time favourite cheeses.
Made by Fraser Norton and Rachel Yarrow of Norton & Yarrow Cheese, it’s a beautiful little pyramid-shaped goat’s cheese with a wrinkly rind and the most wonderful light, mousse-like texture. When young, it’s fresh, citrusy and bright; give it a little more time and it becomes softer, richer and increasingly savoury.
I’ve known this cheese since its Oxfordshire days, watched Fraser and Rachel build their business and then followed their enormous move — goats, dairy and all — to a new farm in Carmarthenshire.
So yes, I’m biased.
But taste it and I think you’ll understand why.
A Complete Change of Direction
Fraser and Rachel didn’t grow up expecting to become cheesemakers.
Their story began in 2014 after an article about cheese, read while they were on holiday, planted the seed of an idea. Rachel was an English teacher and Fraser worked in project management, but the idea stuck and eventually led to a complete change of career.
There are also some rather lovely coincidences in this story for me. Rachel taught our son at school, while Fraser had previously worked with Ali. None of us knew at the time quite how much cheese was going to become part of all our lives!
In 2015, Fraser and Rachel became tenant farmers at Earth Trust Farm in Oxfordshire, where they established their herd and began making cheese.
Sinodun Hill takes its name from the nearby Sinodun Hills, better known locally as the Wittenham Clumps, which overlook the landscape where the cheese was born.
Goats, Dairy and a Move to Wales
After almost a decade at Earth Trust, Fraser and Rachel embarked on the next chapter.
In January 2025, they moved to their own farm near Llangadog in Carmarthenshire. And this wasn’t simply a case of packing a few boxes into the back of a van. The goats went. The cheesemaking equipment went. Even the dairy buildings went.
Pretty much the entire cheesemaking operation moved from Oxfordshire to Wales.
There was a family connection waiting for them there too, as Rachel’s family had farmed in the area during the 1970s.
I love that Sinodun Hill has kept the name of the place where its story began. Norton & Yarrow sometimes use Bryn Sinodun — bryn being Welsh for hill — as a lovely link between the cheese’s Oxfordshire beginnings and its new Welsh home.
Those Ears!
Sinodun Hill is made from the milk of Fraser and Rachel’s own herd of Anglo-Nubian goats.
If you’ve never met an Anglo-Nubian, they’re very easy to recognise. They’re the ones with the ridiculously long floppy ears — and they are incredibly cute.
More importantly for cheesemaking, their milk is wonderfully rich and particularly well suited to the style of cheese Fraser and Rachel make.
The little pyramid cheeses are made slowly and carefully before developing their distinctive wrinkled rind. Underneath, the paste changes considerably as the cheese matures, which means a young Sinodun and a more mature one can give you two quite different experiences.
And obviously, in the interests of thorough cheese research, I recommend trying both.
Sinodun Hill – Jen’s Tasting Notes
One of the things I love about Sinodun Hill is its texture. Cut into a good one and the paste is light, creamy and almost mousse-like rather than dense or chalky.
When young, the flavours are beautifully fresh. I get lots of citrus, a clean yoghurt-like tang and a gentle sweetness from the milk. There’s a lovely acidity running through it that makes you immediately want another mouthful.
Then the rind starts adding another layer. Depending on the cheese, I sometimes find earthy flavours, a little mushroom and even something slightly fruity.
Give Sinodun a little longer and everything begins to change. The paste softens, particularly underneath the rind, the fresh citrus becomes more rounded and deeper savoury flavours start to appear. I often find almond and gentle nuttiness alongside that lovely creamy goat’s milk.
And that’s part of why I love it so much. Sinodun Hill doesn’t give you exactly the same experience every time you eat it. Young or mature, centre or rind, there’s always something slightly different to discover.
It’s the sort of cheese that reminds me why I became obsessed with cheese in the first place.
How to Serve and Pair Sinodun Hill
- 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 good Sauvignon Blanc is fabulous with Sinodun Hill. The fresh acidity and citrus work beautifully with the tangy goat’s milk cheese without overwhelming its delicate texture.
- Something a little different: If you’re celebrating, open the Champagne. The bubbles and acidity are brilliant with the creamy paste and fresh citrus flavours.
- On the plate: Honestly, I don’t think Sinodun needs much. A little fresh pear or a drizzle of honey is lovely, but give me the cheese and some good bread and I’m perfectly happy.
- In the kitchen: I really don’t want you cooking with a beautiful Sinodun Hill! But if you’ve somehow got a piece in the fridge that’s gone slightly past its best, melt it over roasted butternut squash. It’s absolutely delicious — and far better than wasting good cheese.
Jen’s note: I make absolutely no attempt to be impartial about Sinodun Hill. I’ve watched Fraser and Rachel build Norton & Yarrow from scratch and followed Sinodun from its Oxfordshire beginnings to its new home in Wales. But familiarity alone wouldn’t make it one of my all-time favourite cheeses. It has earned that place all by itself.
Buying Sinodun Hill
- Brand or Producer: Norton & Yarrow
- Product name: Sinodun Hill
- 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, £14.00
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, ripening cultures.
