Ragstone

A soft, matured goat’s cheese with a densely fudgy texture and lactic, lemony flavours reminiscent of crème fraiche.

This cheese intentionally has a thin mould rind. Because of this, wild moulds- spots of blue, green and grey moulds, often develop on the surface during maturation. They are perfectly safe to eat and do not negatively affect the flavour of the cheese.

Minimum weight - 200g.
Price
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Average age 3-4 weeks

Pasteurised Goat's MILK, Salt, Cultures (contains trace cow's MILK), Vegetarian Coagulant

Standard delivery is free to most postcodes in the UK for orders over £39.50. Click here for a list of postcodes where additional delivery charges apply.

For orders under £39.50, standard delivery is £8.00.

Collection from our London shops is free - choose Shop Collection at checkout.
  • Spend over £39.50 to receive free delivery (England, Wales & Central Scotland)
Small tower of whole and cut log-shaped Ragstone goat’s milk cheeses with a white mould-covered, smooth rind and dense paste
Close-up of whole and cut log-shaped Ragstone goat’s milk cheeses with a white mould-covered, smooth rind and dense paste
Location: Ragstone map
Small tower of whole and cut log-shaped Ragstone goat’s milk cheeses with a white mould-covered, smooth rind and dense paste
Close-up of whole and cut log-shaped Ragstone goat’s milk cheeses with a white mould-covered, smooth rind and dense paste
Location: Ragstone map

Made by Charlie Westhead

Dorstone, Herefordshire

Charlie Westhead was one of the earliest employees of Neal's Yard Dairy until he took on the ownership of Neal's Yard Creamery in the late 1980s. The relationship between the two companies remains close. Charlie's son Conan managed our production team for several years and continues to work within the world of cheese.

Ragstone is one of the first cheeses developed by Charlie Westhead for Neal's Yard Dairy, and now made by the team at Neal's Yard Creamery. After setting overnight, the curds are hand-ladled into log-shaped moulds – a slower, gentler process that contributes to the cheese's smooth texture and rounded flavour. Though it is named for the Ragstone ridge near Sevenoaks where it was first created, this popular goat's cheese log has been produced in the Golden Valley in Herefordshire since the Westheads moved there in 1996. Neal's Yard Creamery have made efforts to limit the environmental impact of their production process by putting in windmills and solar panels to generate most of their energy. Waste water from the cheesemaking facility is purified through a wetland system of willows and reeds.

Arriving at a week old, Ragstone lives in our warmer rooms to help encourage the growth of its bloomy-white rind. After about a week it normally has a full rind coverage and can be sold - or held onto longer for a deeper and sometimes spicier flavour.

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