Touching tribute to GYS cheese steward Judy Bell as daughter steps up to top role to continue her work

Judy Bell, who died in March, had been passionate about creating a quality dairy alternative, with Yorkshire Feta being her first cheese with popular Thirsk-based Shepherds Purse.

It went on to win international awards, but with feta awarded a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in 2002, the family were forced to change its name to Yorkshire Fettle.

Then, after a Save Our Sheep Milk campaign in 2020 brought it to the attention of Greek producers, a second name change loomed – as they insisted that fettle was too close to feta.

Yesterday, Mrs Bell’s Salad Cheese was revealed as the third incarnation for this feta-style creation, as popular cheese classes drew to a close at the Great Yorkshire Show.

Caroline Bell stepped into her mother’s role yesterday as the show’s chief cheese steward. Only now, she said, was she able to appreciate quite how much her mother had dedicated to the Great Yorkshire Show in her years as a steward.

“It has felt very meaningful, and important, to get this show back after two years,” she said. “It was really important to mum. Hopefully we’ve done her proud, all of us.

“There have been some great cheeses,” she added. “Somehow, we’ve been able to bring it all together, and I’m sure mum has been with us. It feels a miracle.”

Awards

A raft of awards were presented across the board, with supreme champion cheese named as Bradbury’s Vallage Triple Cream, and with reserve champion being Saputo Davidstow Creamery’s extra mature cheddar.

For dairy product, Ryeburn of Helmsley’s Blueberry Pannacotta Ice Cream was named supreme champion, with Longley Farm’s strawberry yoghurt as reserve.

Judges also revealed these two trophies are now to be named after key figures of the industry whose loss has been felt so strongly, David Hartley, of Wensleydale Creamery alongside Mrs Bell.