Ivy’s Reserve: A Story of Values, Craft and Cheese Made Properly 🧀

Ivy’s Reserve is built on the same principles that guided Ivy herself - values that have been handed down through generations of family cheesemaking. At the heart of Ivy's Reserve is not just a cheese, but a person.

Ivy Clothier began making cheese in Somerset in the late 1920's, using surplus milk from her husband Tom's dairy herd. What started as a practical way to make the most of what the farm produced quickly became something more. Ivy's cheese was made carefully, methodically and with pride - first for family and farmhands, then for a growing local community who recognised quality.

Ivy was not interested in shortcuts or show. She cared deeply about how things were done. Texture mattered. Flavour mattered. Consistency mattered. And above all, nothing left the dairy unless she was satisfied it was good enough.

Those values still define Ivy's reserve today.

Respect for tradition

Ivy believed in doing things properly. Her recipes were developed through experience, patience and an understanding of milk, time and craft. Today, Ivy’s Reserve remains rooted in those original recipes, using tradition not as nostalgia, but as a benchmark for quality.

Uncompromising standards

Ivy was selective. The very best cheese was kept back for the family table, and only cheese that met her standards was shared beyond the farm. That approach remains central to Ivy’s Reserve: only the finest batches are selected to carry her name.

Craftsmanship and care

Cheesemaking, for Ivy, was a craft. Attention to detail was non‑negotiable - from flavour development to texture and finish. That same care defines Ivy’s Reserve cheeses today, where balance, depth and consistency are prioritised over volume.

Integrity

Ivy was straightforward and honest, and the brand that bears her name reflects that character. Ivy’s Reserve is clear about its provenance, avoids exaggeration, and lets the quality of the cheese speak for itself.

Family responsibility

Putting a family name on a product brings responsibility. Ivy understood that reputation is earned slowly and lost quickly. Each generation involved in Ivy’s Reserve has carried that sense of stewardship forward, protecting both the recipe and the standards behind it.