Malpas cheesemakers bring an 1845 Cheshire recipe back to life

Cheshire cheese is one of the oldest named cheeses in Britain, and at The Bank Farm in Malpas, one family has been keeping its traditions alive for generations. Now the Bournes have reached even further back into the past, reviving a cheese made to a recipe dating from 1845.

The recipe was discovered in a handwritten notebook by John Bourne several years ago. His son, Hugo Bourne, has since brought it back to life as the 1845 Heritage Cheshire, made using methods and ingredients as they were in the mid-19th century. The cheese is clothbound and aged in the farmhouse cellar to develop its distinctive character.

The revival was showcased on Channel 5's Britain's Most Scenic Counties: Cheshire, which followed Hugo and Charlotte Bourne as they recreated the historic cheese and demonstrated the traditional hand-crafted techniques behind it.

The family's own history is remarkable. The Bournes have been hand-making Cheshire cheese since 1750, and at The Bank Farm in Malpas since 1930. The business describes itself as the only traditional Cheshire cheesemaker left in the county, and its cheeses are made with milk from the farm's own Friesian Holstein herd.

John Bourne, now in his 80th year, remains very much involved but is passing the torch to Hugo, who has helped run the farm and make the cheese for many years. Hugo is keen to grow the business while keeping faith with the traditions handed down through the generations. It is a classic story of continuity on a Cheshire farm, with each generation learning the craft at the elbow of the last.

That balance between heritage and ambition seems to be working. Bournes cheeses have been winning awards at shows and competitions, and the business has a new website, launched in autumn 2025, where cheese lovers can order direct. Cheshire Life has also explored the story behind the 1845 cheese, adding to a growing appreciation of one of the county's great food traditions.

For anyone building a cheeseboard this season, a wedge of clothbound Cheshire from a family that has been perfecting it for centuries feels like the most local choice of all.

H.S. Bourne is at The Bank Farm, Malpas. Find out where to buy and order online at hsbourne.co.uk.