Valley Shepherd Creamery Shepherd Basket Cheese

Shepherd Basket is a signature farmstead cheese produced by Valley Shepherd Creamery. This Manchego-style cheese is crafted using traditional methods and raw milk harvested from East Friesian sheep. It is known for its distinct golden paste and a historic basket-weave rind created by using specific four-pound molds during the production process.

The entire production cycle—from the raising of the sheep to the aging of the cheese—takes place on the creamery's own farm in Long Valley, New Jersey. The cheese is typically aged for at least four months to develop its characteristic sheepy and slightly salty flavor profile. As an artisanal farmstead product, it maintains a small-batch identity under the direct oversight of its original founders.