
Blue Monday is a blue cheese made by the team at Shepherds Purse in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. It was created by Alex James, a former member of the band Blur, who stepped away from his rock 'n' roll lifestyle in 2003 to convert his stone outbuildings into cheesemaking rooms. Blue Monday is a pasteurised, blue cow's milk cheese with a thin natural rind. It is matured for a minimum of 12 weeks and has a faintly sweet, intensely savoury, spicy, and rich, complex flavour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Blue Monday |
| Type | Blue cheese |
| Made by | Alex James, former band member of Blur |
| Manufacturer | Shepherds Purse |
| Manufacturer's location | Thirsk, North Yorkshire |
| Manufacturer's business type | Independent family business |
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What You'll Learn
- Blue Monday is made by Shepherds Purse, an independent family business in North Yorkshire
- The cheese is made in the traditional way on their farm
- Alex James, a former member of Blur, created Blue Monday
- James left his rock 'n' roll lifestyle in 2003 for a 200-acre farm
- Blue Monday is a pasteurised, blue cow's milk cheese

Blue Monday is made by Shepherds Purse, an independent family business in North Yorkshire
Blue Monday is a pasteurised blue cow's milk cheese created by Alex James, a former band member of Blur, who stepped away from his rock 'n' roll lifestyle in 2003 to pursue his passion for cheese. He now has a 200-acre farm in a small village located between Chipping Norton and Stowe-on-the-Wold, where he converted his stone outbuildings into cheesemaking rooms.
Blue Monday is matured for a minimum of 12 weeks and has a wonderfully soft, mellow and creamy texture, with a faintly sweet, intensely savoury, spicy, and rich flavour. The cheese has bold cracks and blue streaks with a thin, edible natural rind that has notes of herbs and minerals. It is named after the song by New Order and comes as a wheel weighing approximately 1.2kg.
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The cheese is made in the traditional way on their farm
Blue Monday is a rich, pasteurised, blue cow's milk cheese created by Alex James, a former band member of Blur, turned cheesemaker. James stepped away from his rock 'n' roll lifestyle in 2003 for a 200-acre farm in a small village located between Chipping Norton and Stowe-on-the-Wold where he converted his stone outbuildings into cheesemaking rooms.
Blue Monday is matured for a minimum of 12 weeks. This unique blue develops a wonderfully soft, mellow and creamy texture, with a faintly sweet, intensely savoury, spicy, rich and complex flavour. The cheese has bold cracks and blue streaks with a thin natural rind. The rind is edible with notes of herbs and minerals.
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Alex James, a former member of Blur, created Blue Monday
James collaborated with Judy Bell, a cheesemaker at Shepherds Purse, an independent family business in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. Together, they created Blue Monday, a rich, pasteurised, blue cow's milk cheese. The cheese has a wonderfully soft, mellow and creamy texture, with a faintly sweet, intensely savoury, spicy, and rich, complex flavour. It has bold cracks and blue streaks with a thin, edible natural rind.
Blue Monday is matured for a minimum of 12 weeks and comes as a wheel weighing approximately 1.2kg. It is named after the song by New Order and is cube-shaped.
Shepherds Purse has grown organically over the years, starting with making cheese from sheep's milk and expanding to include cow's milk and even water buffalo milk cheeses. Today, they are best known for their blue cheeses, Yorkshire Blue and Harrogate Blue, which have won awards at the World Cheese Awards.
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James left his rock 'n' roll lifestyle in 2003 for a 200-acre farm
In 2003, James left his rock n roll lifestyle for a 200-acre farm in a small village located between Chipping Norton and Stowe-on-the-Wold. Here, he converted his stone outbuildings into cheesemaking rooms. James is passionate about cheese and is fluent on the subject. He created Blue Monday, a rich, pasteurised, blue cow's milk cheese. It is faintly sweet, intensely savoury, spicy, and has a rich, complex flavour. The cheese has bold cracks and blue streaks with a thin natural rind. The rind is edible with notes of herbs and minerals.
Blue Monday is made by the very skilled team at Shepherds Purse in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. Shepherds Purse is a proud, independent family business, making cheese in the traditional way on their farm. Judy Bell and the team at Shepherds Purse have grown organically over the years. They started by making cheese only from sheep’s milk, but they extended their range to include cow’s milk and even water buffalo milk cheeses. Today, they are best known for their blue cheeses, Yorkshire Blue and Harrogate Blue, which won Super Gold at the World Cheese awards and were named in the top 15 cheeses in the world.
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Blue Monday is a pasteurised, blue cow's milk cheese
Blue Monday was created by Alex James, a former band member of Blur, who stepped away from his rock 'n' roll lifestyle in 2003 to pursue a career in cheesemaking. He now owns a 200-acre farm in a small village located between Chipping Norton and Stowe-on-the-Wold, where he converted his stone outbuildings into cheesemaking rooms.
Blue Monday is matured for a minimum of 12 weeks and has a wonderfully soft, mellow and creamy texture, with a faintly sweet, intensely savoury, spicy, and rich flavour. The cheese has bold cracks and blue streaks with a thin, edible natural rind that has notes of herbs and minerals. It comes as a wheel weighing approximately 1.2kg.
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Frequently asked questions
Blue Monday cheese is made in North Yorkshire.
Blue Monday cheese is made by the Shepherds Purse team in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.
Judy Bell founded Shepherds Purse.
Blue Monday cheese was created by Alex James, a former band member of Blur.
























