Greg Parsons, owner and managing director, Sharpham Cheese

Q. What in your background prepared you for your current role?

I have only ever worked in the world of food and drink and I have been lucky enough to work in all areas, for big brands and startups. To be working with my wife and family, in a county that I love, with a brilliant team and amazing products, really is living the dream.

Sharpham as a dairy has been making artisan cheese for over 40 years, and we handmake a range of award-winning English cheeses in the South Devon countryside close to the River Dart. Cheese making began in 1982, just over the hill from the current dairy, on the Sharpham Estate. It was the brainchild of estate owner and environmentalist Maurice Ash. Nowadays, Sharpham Dairy is owned by us, another local family, the Parsons. We are equally passionate about British cheese, the environment and our Devon home.

Q. How do you think the British cheese industry is evolving and what is your role in it?

We know that cheese is an everyday food for most people and must be benefitting from increasing demand for non-meat protein, but British artisan cheese has really made great strides in quality and variety in the last decade and we challenge ourselves continually to be part of that movement.

Our small business became the very first cheesemaker in the UK to be certified as a B Corporation in 2022 – businesses that put people and planet before profit and meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

The dairy makes around 70 tonnes of cheese a year, using the milk from their own herd of cows – and sheep and goats’ milk from local, trusted family farms. The ten main cheeses are winners of many national and international awards.

Our cheeses, and a range of complementary chutneys and crackers, are sold mainly through wholesalers to cheesemongers, delis, farm shops and restaurants in the west country and nationwide, and direct to the public through the website shop. Around 70 per cent of production is still sold within Devon.

Q. How is the “Curd is the word” crowdfunding going?

We have taken a leap of faith and invested a lot of energy in getting ready for it, but we really don’t know how successful it will be. We have had a steady start and we are humbled and inspired by lovely words of support and the kindness and generosity of our crowd.

Q. What inspired you to come up with the plan?

We poured everything we had and more into building our new dairy and we really want to complete as much as we can. I have spoken to others about crowdfunding and concluded that there would never be a better reason or opportunity. Being rewards based, we have embraced the opportunity to get creative and everyone will get really good value for their investment in rewards.

Q. What do you consider your biggest challenge/greatest achievement?

 In 2024, we moved across the River Dart to a brand-new cheese dairy at the South Devon Food Hub at Longcombe. The biggest challenge has definitely been relocating the business and building our new dairy, while managing to keep our team motivated, keep our customers supplied and keep our marriage happy.

Q. What does a typical day look like for you?

I leave home at 0510, pick up Peter (Howarth), our head of production, and pick up two flat whites enroute to the dairy. On arrival, we check all is ok so far (Chris onn the production team gets in just after 0500) and then I will usually crack on with processing orders, projects and general admin, unless needed in production.

Some mornings I collect milk on the way in. We usually leave the dairy at 1400-ish and there is more often than not work for Food Drink Devon in the afternoons. I am currently chair of FDD in a voluntary role.

Q. Outside of work, what are your hobbies/interests?

I love sport and still try to keep fit and I have been practicing yoga for about seven years a couple of times a week, which really helps my body and mind. I also love family time and cooking, especially for friends.