This September, The Courtyard at Welbeck will welcome cheese lovers, makers and food enthusiasts for a day dedicated to one of Britain’s finest artisan traditions. The Welbeck Cheese Festival returns on Saturday 26 September 2026, bringing together celebrated cheesemakers, exceptional produce and a warm sense of community in the heart of the estate.
Created in partnership with Neal’s Yard Dairy, the free-entry festival offers a rare opportunity to meet the people behind some of the country’s most distinctive cheeses. Visitors can taste award-winning varieties, buy directly from producers, and enjoy the stories, skill and dedication that shape every wheel, wedge and rind.
This year’s festival carries special significance as Welbeck celebrates 20 years of Stichelton, the raw milk traditional English blue cheese made on the estate by cheesemaker Joe Schneider. First produced in 2006, Stichelton has become one of the most admired cheeses in the British artisan food landscape, known for its complex flavour, creamy texture and deep connection to place.
Made using raw milk and traditional methods, Stichelton represents a thoughtful revival of heritage cheesemaking.
At the heart of the Welbeck Cheese Festival is the chance to speak directly with the makers themselves. Legendary cheesemakers will gather in The Courtyard, sharing their expertise, traditions and passion with visitors throughout the day.
Joe Schneider - Stichelton, Welbeck
Rachael Hattan – Stonebeck Wensleydale
Selina Errington – Blackmount, Elrick Log, Corra Linn
Tim Jones – Lincolnshire Poacher
Giorgio Cravero – Parmigiano Reggiano San Pietro
Ben Ticehurst – Gorwydd Caerphilly
Otto Mead – Cornish Yarg & Cornish Kern
Jake Goldman – Primrose Creamery, Welbeck
Jamie Montgomery – Montgomery’s Cheddar, Ogleshield
David Jowett – Ashcombe, Rollright & Yarlington
Welbeck has long been a place where food, farming and craftsmanship come together. The Cheese Festival reflects that spirit, celebrating the producers who preserve traditional skills while continuing to shape the future of British food. It is an event rich in flavour, but also in conversation, connection and shared appreciation for makers who care deeply about what they produce.
For Stichelton, the 20-year milestone is more than an anniversary. It is a celebration of patience, persistence and belief in a cheese made slowly, carefully and with integrity. Two decades on, it remains unmistakably tied to Welbeck: a cheese with a story as distinctive as its flavour.
