County Durham is the birthplace of English mustard. In the 18th century, Mrs Clements discovered the method of grinding mustard seeds into a fine powder at a mill in Sadler Street in Durham City, earning royal approval from King George I and laying the foundations for what would eventually become the Coleman mustard empire. The county food heritage runs deep, from Teesdale hill farming and rare farmhouse cheeses to a modern brewing and distillery scene.
Cotherstone Cheese is one of the rarest in England. Made at Quarry House Farm in Teesdale using an old family recipe handed down through generations, it is a traditional farmhouse cheese that can only be found at a handful of specialist retailers. Teesdale Cheesemakers near Butterknowle use milk from a five-generation family farm and have built Cheesedale, a cheese-centric cafe with dairy tours, cheesemaking courses, and lodges with wood-fired hot tubs. Parlour Made at Village Farm Dairy near Sedgefield produces artisan cheeses from their own 240-acre farm. Acorn Dairy at Archdeacon Newton delivers organic milk, cream, and butter to doorsteps across the North East.
The farm shops are anchored by producers who rear their own livestock. Knitsley Farm Shop near Consett has its own bakery and butchery and even makes handmade soaps from farm tallow. Broom Mill Farm in the Gaunless Valley handles grass-fed livestock and feeds cattle with grain from their own fields, achieving some of the lowest food miles in the county. Cross Lanes Organic Farm near Barnard Castle has a deli with over 50 cheeses and produces its own organic ready meals. Castle Bank Butchers has served the county from six shops since 1978.
Durham Brewery is the county oldest, founded in 1994. Consett Ale Works has been award-winning since 2006. Hopper House Brew Farm produces craft beer on a working farm at Sedgefield. Durham Gin is the first distillery in the city since Henry VIII. Dalton Moor Farm produces award-winning apple juice, cider, and preserves with plastic-free packaging throughout.
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