Broughton Hall Dairy
How it all began
Broughton Hall Dairy was established in 2023 on the Tydeman family farm in Stonham Aspal, Suffolk.
Cheesemaking began for Emily in just 2020. As the pandemic hit and the country went into lockdown, Emily found herself tinkering on the hob at home, like many others. As well as the standard banana bread and sourdough loaves, Emily started making cheese and very quickly discovered both a natural skill and a love for the process.
The journey from the hob to the opening of Broughton Hall Dairy started with Emily asking the neighbours at Suffolk Farmhouse Cheese if they could give her some work experience, just to see what working in a cheese room day to day would be like.
Emily initially worked there one day a week, alongside her normal job, and fell in love with the work; the tactile nature of cheesemaking, the mix of artistry and science, the sheer delight in making something that other people can then enjoy.
Learning the craft
Fairly swiftly though, Emily was asked to become head cheesemaker at Suffolk Farmhouse Cheese and she had no real reservations about quitting her career of 16 years and throwing herself into cheesemaking. Emily attended various courses to develop and expand her technical knowledge, and then she took herself off to see other cheesemakers to garner experience.
It was at Fen Farm that Jonny Crickmore suggested speaking to Neal’s Yard Dairy, who seemed a good fit with the ethos and vision in those early stages. With that support and after 18 months’ experience on a very steep learning curve in someone else’s cheeseroom, Emily and Sam bit the bullet and converted a redundant farm building into their own, small cheeseroom.
Emily made the decision to start with a lactic, soft cheese, mainly because she loved the slow, gentle process it necessitated (which also happened to fit in neatly within the school runs). They have been extremely lucky to have been encouraged by some wonderful supporters on the short journey so far and Pyghtle is now stocked both locally and as widely as the small batch numbers permit!
Our Unique Offering
Handcrafted cheeses made with passion and care
Farm-to-table Freshness
Cheeses made from fresh Sheep’s Milk sourced directly from our local, hand-picked suppliers.
Small Batch Excellence
Each cheese is meticulously crafted in limited quantities for exceptional taste.
Suffolk Heritage Inspiration
Our cheeses are inspired by the rich agricultural history of Suffolk countryside.