It is the milk that makes Winter Tarn Dairy butter special - and nobody understands that more than Jeremy and Tricia Jackson, the dairy's founders. Like the farmers they work alongside, their obsession with provenance and quality is everything. Agriculture is in their blood: they are descended from a long line of proud farmers, many of whom have tended dairy herds on the rich pastures of the north of England. Winter Tarn Dairy was founded in 2009 by Jeremy and Tricia. After moving back to Cumbria to run their own dairy farm, the family started the business with the aim of making a better price for the milk they produced. It began at a local Saturday farmers market, selling cheeses made in collaboration with a nearby dairy. Tricia went and helped out in the dairy with the cheesemaking, and the family released three cheeses - including their northern take on a classic Caerphilly, which earned a Gold Star Great Taste Award. They very quickly found requests to expand their range, and butter followed. The butter is now the heart of what Winter Tarn does and it has built a quietly remarkable reputation. All Winter Tarn butters are made using cream sourced from herds of grass-fed, pasture-raised cows from small family farms across the north of England, including Cumbria. They only use cream from grass-fed cattle, collaborating exclusively with a number of small-herd dairy farms in the North West, ensuring those farms obtain a fair price for their produce. Every batch is made by hand, using the same traditional methods the family has always used. In 2023 the family moved production from their original location in Crosby Ravensworth in the Eden Valley to a purpose-built factory unit on the outskirts of Kendal, investing £150,000 in specialist production machinery including two walk-in fridges, state-of-the-art butter churners and a Corazza butter moulding and portion wrapping machine made in Italy, capable of producing nearly 280 portions a minute! Harry Jackson now runs the dairy day to day alongside his parents Jeremy and Tricia. The business has been featured on Channel 4's A Lake District Farm Shop and on a Channel 5 series exploring Cumbria's coast.

Awards and Recognition

A Gold Star Great Taste Award for the Caerphilly-style cheese produced in collaboration with a local dairy. A Great Taste Award for the individual 10g butter portions. Bronze award, Farm Shop & Deli Products Awards for the Farmhouse Salted Butter. Finalist at the Cumbria Food Awards in 2022. Featured on Channel 4's A Lake District Farm Shop and a Channel 5 series about Cumbria's coast.

Social Media

https://www.instagram.com/wintertarn_dairy/

Can people visit or buy direct?

Although it is not possible to visit their production facility you can buy online with the full range available at wintertarndairy.co.uk​/​shop with not only portions for the home but also wholesale and catering sizes for chefs and commercial kitchens. The Jackson family also regularly attend markets across the north of England, including: Altrincham: Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, 8am – 4pm Levenshulme: Saturday, 10am – 4pm Sedbergh: Wednesday, 8am – 12.30pm Chorlton: Every 3rd Saturday, 10am – 4pm Dumfries: Every 1st Sunday, 11am – 3pm Orton: Every 2nd Saturday, 10am – 3pm Shap: Every 4th Saturday, 10am – 3pm Stockists also include: Cartmel Cheeses, Low Sizergh Barn, Plumgarth's Farm Shop, A Day's Walk, Cranstons Food Halls, Westmorland Farm Shop, Rattle Ghyll Fine Food & Deli, The Barn at Pooley Bridge, Chorlton Cheesemongers, Calder Cheesehouse and others across Cumbria, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire.

Website

https://wintertarndairy.co.uk

Address Summary

Kendal, Cumbria