Single-herd milk, artisan methods and cheeses that quietly chart the seasons. Meet the Delves family’s Traditional Cheese Dairy at Burnt House Farm near Heathfield.
Long before there was a dairy at Waldron in East Sussex, there was a Sussex family. The Delves can trace their local roots back to the 14th century. For generations, they were vicars and village shopkeepers and then, after the WWII, Ronald and Joyce Delves (Joyce served as a Land Girl) turned to farming, moving to Burnt House Farm in the 1960s with nine cows and a great deal of grit. Their son Andy later took over. Today, Andy’s son, Joe Delves, runs the farm, stewarding a herd of around 220 and a landscape that still feels distinctly, stubbornly Sussex.
From milk to cheese: how the dairy began
Like many modern farmers, Joe wanted to capture more value from the milk his family worked so hard to produce. When a respected small cheese business in nearby Stonegate came up for sale, Joe bought it, eventually building a new dairy on the farm so the family could make cheese with their own milk. Andy Delves was the first cheesemaker under the new regime, trained by the outgoing owners, but today, Joe’s cousin, Ben Cottingham, is the head cheesemaker and brings a calm, technical precision to a proudly hands-on craft. And food miles don’t get much lower than this as the cows graze softly on from just outside the dairy. Sussex Exclusive spent a morning at the dairy to find out more about the farm, the cheesemaking and whether the cheese was as good as it’s rumoured to be. And this is what we learnt:
What makes these cheeses so Sussex and so good?
Three things define the Traditional Cheese Dairy’s character. First, with the exception of one soft style and one sheep’s milk cheese, the cheeses are made with raw milk from the Delves’ own herd. Keeping everything on the farm preserves a clear sense of place. Secondly, the herd calves once a year and the milk naturally changes. Winter silage brings a gentle, fruity tartness; spring pasture lifts butterfat and creaminess. The cheeses reflect these shifts subtly across the year. Finally, these cheeses are artisan, not automated. They are made in small batches. Curds are cut and stirred by hand. Wheels are brined, washed, turned and matured in carefully controlled rooms. Some cheese are lightly oak smoked off the rind. It’s labour-intensive by design.
The range: six cheeses, six personalities
Here’s what to look for and how to enjoy them.
Burwash Rose (pasteurised, washed-rind, semi-soft; ~6 weeks)
A Sussex original with a delicate pinkish blush to the rind (hence “Rose”). Hand-washed three times a week, it ripens to a supple, creamy paste with that classic washed-rind farmyard note when fully mature.
Serve: bring to room temperature; scoop onto hot toast or crusty bread. Pair with Sussex sparkling or a farmhouse ale.
Olde Sussex (raw-milk, hard; best ~6 months)
A rounded, cheddar-style table cheese that is deep, creamy and quietly moreish.
Serve: your everyday hero: ploughman’s, cheese on toast or a simple board with apples and celery. Crisp whites or bitters work well.
Smoked Olde Sussex (oak-smoked variant)
Olde Sussex with a gentle oak smoke kissed onto the rind, adding a fireside whisper without overpowering the cheese.
Serve: on toast (a dash of hot sauce if that’s your thing) or shave over roasted mushrooms. Lovely with amber ales.
Scrumpy Sussex (raw-milk, hard with additions)
Olde Sussex curd mixed before moulding with garlic, local herbs, and local cider. Because the cider is small-batch, the flavour shifts with each vintage, sometimes brighter and “appley”, sometimes more cidery-dry as it matures.
Serve: pork pies and pickles, crusty bread, and (naturally) a glass of cider. A picnic natural but just as happy by a winter stove.
Lord of the Hundreds (sheep’s milk, hard; ~7 months)
The dairy’s only cheese made with sheep’s milk. Firm and slightly nutty, it’s a chef’s friend: think British cousin to Parmesan, but with its own mellow warmth.
Serve: shave over risotto or pasta with winter greens; on boards, pair with almonds, figs and a drizzle of honey.
“Burjak” Cheddar (raw-milk, butter-muslin bound; seasonal)
Named for the Delves family herd, this single-batch cheddar is made in February and matured for a festive release. Firmer than Olde Sussex, with a deep, savoury nuttiness and beautiful sliceability.
Serve: centre-board star with pickled walnuts and fig chutney; drinks-wise, Sussex sparkling or a rich, dry cider.
And does the Traditional Cheese Dairy taste as good as the rumours? Hell yes, and some. This is really good cheese. And we’ve done a lot of tasting.
The cider connection: Beardy & Big Nose
Sussex is quietly (and not so quietly) fizzing with craft cider. Scrumpy Sussex uses cider from Beardy & Big Nose, a small producer founded by two local friends (Phil and Steve) who host an annual community apple harvest and press what neighbours bring. Folded into the curd with garlic and herbs before moulding, it creates a cheese that’s unmistakably Sussex, orchard and pasture in the same slice.
Simple tips for buying, serving and storing
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Temper, don’t rush: cold mutes flavour and texture. Give cheeses at least an hour at room temperature before serving.
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Board craft: mix textures (soft, hard, crumbly) and, where possible, milks (cow, sheep). Add Sussex apples or pears, pickled cucumbers, good mustard and crusty bread.
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Pair locally: Sussex sparkling flatters washed-rind styles; heritage ciders sing with Scrumpy; bitters and pale ales love the hard cows’ cheeses; a textural white is lovely with Lord of the Hundreds.
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Wrap right: re-wrap cut faces in wax or cheese paper (not clingfilm against the paste), tuck into a box, refrigerate and bring back to room temperature next time.
Why this dairy matters
In a world of high-volume uniformity, the Traditional Cheese Dairy is a reminder that food can still taste like where it’s from. Pasture and herd. Weather and work. Oak smoke and apple press. The Delves family’s story, from shopkeepers to post-war farmers to modern farmhouse cheesemakers, is, frankly, the Sussex story in miniature: adaptable, local and proud without making a song and dance about it.
If you’re stocking a kitchen or planning a board, start with Olde Sussex and Scrumpy Sussex for a true taste of pasture and orchard; add Lord of the Hundreds for depth (and weekday cooking superpowers). If you spot Burwash Rose, take it home, give it time on the counter, and let that pink-blushed rind do the talking.
And when you see Beardy & Big Nose on a label or a stall, remember: that’s the orchard half of the same conversation. In Sussex, good things tend to find each other.
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