We think of ourselves less as farmers who make cheese rather as cheesemakers who produce our own milk. The quest for high quality, delicious milk has been at the core of our business for generations and now you can enjoy our milk in its pure form. Milk direct from the farm.
Sheep’s Milk is a delicious super food, easier to digest than cow’s or goat’s milk and richer in protein, vitamins & minerals. It also has an array of healthy fats and a rich supply of biopeptides - natural, health-promoting goodness.
Aided by the diversity of feed and the healthy lifestyle enjoyed by our flock, the milk is complex and delicious as well as being great for a balanced healthy diet! The Science.
When compared with the milk production of cows and goats, sheep are low yielding animals.
For example, the average dairy cow in the UK produces over 7,500 litres of milk per year while our ewes average 350 litres per year.
The costs of producing a litre of sheep’s milk when compared with cow’s milk in terms of labour, the running of a milking parlour and other requirements is very much higher.
Cow’s milk and sheep’s milk are the same colour, that’s probably the only major similarity!
Sheep’s milk is much easier to digest thanks to its unique fats which make it naturally homogenised (smaller fat particles spread throughout), and pure, A2 type protein.
It’s also lower in saturated fats and higher in calcium than any other milk.
Discover more about our sheep’s milk here.
Yes! It’s a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals which can be hard to absorb from plants like Calcium for bone strength, Zinc for Immunity and healthy Skin and Vit B12 for Nerve function; especially important in senior years. It also contains many heart-healthy fats which can help to keep blood cholesterol levels low. These types of fat also have anti-inflammatory properties..
Discover more about our sheep’s milk here.
Some people can experience discomfort after drinking cow’s milk and often assume this is an intolerance to the natural sugar in milk, Lactose. However, research is showing that for some individuals the problem lies with the A1 type protein which is much higher in most (less in organic or traditional breeds) cow’s milks, and can also cause digestive discomfort. Switching to sheep’s milk, with its pure A2-type protein can alleviate these symptoms.
NB - if you have a diagnosed lactose intolerance or an actual milk allergy, you should take advice before trying any other ruminant milk though.
Discover more about our sheep’s milk here.
Plant drinks have very low natural micro-nutrient value as they contain so much water. (They are a useful alternative for those with diagnosed allergies to dairy of course) Some may be fortified with important nutrients like calcium, but it’s important to remember that nutrients are far easier for the body to absorb when naturally present in a whole food. Take Calcium for example - absorbed better from dairy (sheep, goat, cow) than any other food.
But there's another wonderful story too - grazing animals like sheep have a vital role in nature - naturally restoring soil, increasing biodiversity and allowing the land to capture more carbon. Compare this to importing soy or almonds for example…
Discover more about how sheep’s milk differs from plant drinks here
Put another way, does sheep milk taste ‘sheepy’ and the answer to this is definitely no!
Sheep’s milk has a creamy, silky-smooth texture and a pleasing clean, taste. A common observation is that it’s sweeter than other milks.
We can safely say that you can make one of the nicest cups of coffee using sheep’s milk in place of other milks, our friends at Cereal Bakery in Bath make a mean Latte with our milk. Sheep’s milk works brilliantly in place of fuller fat cow’s milk and is fantastic in a rice pudding. It is also very easy to make simple fresh curd cheese at home.
Have a look at our recipe page for more suggestions
At Ram Hall Dairy we are constantly aware of making choices that have positive environmental impacts. Whether it’s from planting Deep Rooted Leys that help sequester Carbon from the atmosphere to improve soil health, or sowing field boundaries with plants that encourage pollinators and increase biodiversity, even the choice of bottle and packaging your decision to buy milk direct from us helps sustain and regenerate the environment.
Discover more about our farm here
Yes.
Our round bottles are made from RPET plastic and these are our preferred bottle.
RPET bottles are them themselves made from 30% recycled plastic and can go on to be recycled into a broad range of products including another bottle. The clear caps are recyclable too.
If we have to, we also use a more traditional square milk bottle; these are made from HDPE plastic which is also recyclable but not to the same extent.
Our cardboard boxes are recyclable as too are the Woolcool insulation liners. These have a whole host of further uses and some can be found on the Woolcool website www.woolcool.com
The frozen blocks are filled with water and are quite safe to reuse providing they are undamaged as they may leak.
We use a 24 hour courier service so aim to have your milk delivered to your door the day after leaving the farm. This is not a signature service so the driver is instructed to leave your package safe at your premises or with a neighbour if you are not able to receive the delivery in person.
It is important however that your milk is placed in a fridge or freezer as soon as possible after delivery.
In order to keep the cost of delivery to you as low as possible we do not deliver at weekends.
The cost of post and packing is nearly all attributed to courier charges. The rest is packaging costs.
info@berkswellcheese.com