Sustainability

There is no hiding from the fact that the agriculture industry produces 10% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the UK in 2019 as shown on the .GOV website. Though there are some farming methods and habits which can be much more beneficial and a lot less harmful for the environment.

Here at Park Farm we try everything we can to reduce our carbon footprint. We have invested heavily in renewable energy, selling locally, and biodegradable packaging.

We have 75kw of solar panels on the roofs of the building and 300kw of biomass boilers which produces most of our energy all year round. We are now exploring capturing the gas released by the cow manure to produce even more of the energy used on the farm, we hope one day to power our tractors and delivery vans with it.

Packaging of food is another area that can produce unnecessary carbon emissions. We use biodegradable packaging wherever possible for our produce. On the cheese itself we use an innovative clear and breathable wrap made from wood; called Natureflex. We are thinking it is better than the traditional white soft cheese wraps as it aids to keep the cheese maturing gradually. So, not only is this wrap natural, but it also improves our products. It can take up to 450 years for some plastics to fully decompose, however Natureflex will only take up to 60 days and most of the compostable packaging will take up to 180 days, this is a massive difference, timewise, and could make a huge impact on the amount of waste which goes to landfill and ends up staying there for centuries.

Cows eating

We are all responsible for our environment, even if there are some industries who produce more carbon emissions, we can still make a difference by doing our bit. A great way for consumers to reduce their carbon footprint, is to buy locally.

A large proportion of our cheese and milk is sold either directly from our farm shop or from local farmer’s markets. We also try to stay as local as possible when buying produce for our shop and café. So, to do your bit why not go shopping at your local farmer’s market this weekend.

At Bath Soft Cheese, the farm and the family story are inseparable. Today, the farm is run by Hugh Padfield, the fourth generation to work this land at Park Farm. The Padfields first arrived here in August 1914, and for over a century the family has been farming these fields.

Back then, Park Farm was a small mixed farm of just 240 acres, with dairy cows, pigs, chickens, and cereal crops. Hugh’s great-grandfather would have milked the cows by hand alongside a team of farm workers, while his great-grandmother Lillian made cheese in the farmhouse kitchen—most likely a simple cheddar.

Cheesemaking has always been part of the Padfield story. In those days, it was simply what every dairy farmer did: turning milk that had started to sour, or was no longer sellable, into something nourishing and full of flavour. What began as a practical necessity has, over the generations, become a family tradition—and today, Bath Soft Cheese continues that heritage with pride.

It was in the 1990s that Hugh’s father, Graham Padfield, revived the art of cheesemaking at Park Farm in a more deliberate way. While researching the farm’s past, he tracked down the original recipe for Bath Cheese in an old grocer’s recipe book. The instructions were wonderfully precise: the cheese must be made with full-cream milk, salt should be sprinkled on the young cheeses with the aid of a feather, and the finished cheese should be soft and cloaked in a delicate white mould.

To Admiral Nelson from his father, July 16, 1801:

My dear Horatio, – On Tuesday next I intend (God willing) to leave Bath and tho’ not very strong, yet, hope to reach Lothian on Thursday, as I must remain a few days in London, let me not interrupt any of your engagements.

Recollecting that Sir William and Lady Hamilton seemed gratified by the flavour of a cream cheese, I have taken the liberty of sending 2 or 3 cheeses of Bath manufacture.

I am my dear Son your most affectionate Edmund Nelson

Inspired by this discovery, Graham set about bringing Bath Cheese back to life, crafting cheeses that echoed the traditions of centuries past while using milk from the farm’s own herd.

The years that followed brought exciting milestones. Around 1993, Bath Soft Cheese was officially relaunched, reviving an 18th-century recipe once enjoyed by Admiral Nelson himself. After its warm reception, Graham set his sights on creating a hard cheese.

In his reading about traditional cheesemaking, he learned that farmers of the past would often rescue milk that was beginning to spoil by turning it into a simple curd. The curd would be gathered into a cloth and hung from a beam or placed into a basket, forming a beautiful round cheese. Left unpressed, these cheeses developed a naturally sweet, gentle flavour. It was this age-old method that inspired the creation of Wyfe of Bath, a cheese that remains one of the farm’s most beloved today.

A blue cheese was the missing piece in the collection, and both Hugh and Graham—keen fans of Stilton—set about developing a recipe of their own. Around 2007–2008 they began experimenting, determined to make their blue cheese in the most traditional, hands-on way possible. Curds were formed in buckets, poured into cloth-lined crates to drain overnight, then carefully milled and hand-ladled into Stilton moulds. This gentle process gave the cheese just the right level of compression, creating the perfect conditions for its rich, tangy character.

In 2014, the farm celebrated 100 years of Padfield family farming. That same year brought an extraordinary moment: Hugh received a phone call from the organiser of the World Cheese Awards with the news that Bath Blue had won the top prize—crowned the best cheese in the world. It was a remarkable accolade and a proud milestone for the family.

The following year, in 2015, the Padfields opened a purpose-built, modern creamery at Park Farm—combining state-of-the-art facilities with the knowledge and traditions passed down through generations.

Today, Hugh carries this legacy forward, ensuring that every cheese made at Park Farm is not just food, but a taste of history, heritage, and the rich Somerset pastures.