Dear Yelp, Attended the lamb petting event here. It was fun. The lambs were cute. The event started with a 15 minute video. The tvs were small for what they were being used for. We enjoyed our cheese platter on the patio afterwards. I bought some Olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I appreciated that there were actual restrooms to use, and not just port a potties. I'd like to go back in the fall for the cheese cave tour! Love, Nicole read more

Valley Shepherd Creamery - Cheese Shops Near Me - Long Valley, New Jersey

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We finally made it to the Valley Shepherd Creamery Fall Tour. There were about 20 of us. The weather was a little rainy and misty. We took a wagon ride through the pastures to their cheese cave and had a walking tour inside the cave. When we went back our cheese tasting trays were waiting for us. We all sat at the tables outside. There are so many cheeses to choose from. The staff is very friendly and helpful in selecting their world winning cheeses. I would definitely do it again! read more

We have been wanting to visit this cheese icon for many months and finally made the trip. Missy owner, Nick and Miranda were all exceptionally friendly and provided terrific customer service. Their cheeses are 5 stars. The inside and outdoors are both amazing . We will be back in the Fall for their cave tours! read more

This is a cheese factory and creamery in the Fairmont, New Jersey area and is an excellent place to go if you're wanting quality cheeses and dairy products. I visited on a Saturday and it wasn't too busy and they let you taste all of the cheeses before purchasing. I tasted the Crema de blue and ended up getting 2 pounds of it and shipped it back to Florida where I live. The atmosphere is like a country store that sells cheese, dairy products, eggs, and some other miscellaneous items. Their cheese is very good and I will definitely be back to try and order more cheese to be shipped to Florida where I live. read more

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Great place, came here twice so far drove 50 miles one way to get here. Both times great experience. They offer a great tractor tour and I also saw how sheep are kept with their little ones. They also have a lot of great products that they offer. read more

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We attended a Yelp Elite event at Beneduce farms which featured a stellar selection of cheese from Valley Shepherd. These paired excellently with their wine selection, hope for more collabs in the future! read more

Had a great experience at Valley Shepherd Creamery. We tired the goat milk yogurt for breakfast and then decided it was sooooo good, we needed to visit the store. The staff are super friendly and helpful. Tired a number of goat cheeses and picked 2 to take home. Everything was delicious. read more

Cheese and Sheep what more is there to life! What a place. The selection of cheeses are all great. Samples are usually available. The Soprano is my favorite. The sheep's milk yogurt is to die for. Can't go back to any other yogurt ever again! Don't pass up the delicious ravioli. Fig and goat cheese is a nice one! Tours are available to see the whole cheese making process. Check the website for details. How lucky we are to have such a place in our NJ backyard! read more

We stopped here after spending time at a local farm. They have a nice variety of cheeses made from the milk of sheep, cows and goats. The line to try/buy cheese took a while, even with only a few people ahead of us, but it was worth the wait! We ended up taking home Valley Thunder, Smokey Shepherd, Pepato and Nettlesome, as well as a log of goat cheese. All of cheeses are creamy and flavorful, but our favorite of the bunch was the Smokey Shepherd. They also have a variety of breads, crackers, and preserves. We made a cheeseboard at home with cheeses, apricot spread, sour dough bread and crackers all purchased from VS and it was amazing. I can't wait to come back and try more items! read more

Valley Shepherd Creamery - Left to right: Smokey Shepherd, Nettlesome, Valley Thunder and Pepato - Cheese Shops Near Me - Long Valley, New Jersey

what a great place to visit! Super friendly people, delicious options, beautiful setting. What more could you want?!

I was overcharged $5 for frozen ravioli, and the price was on the package in large text. Products are very good, but be vigilant if the less experienced staff ring you up. read more

Excellent sheep milk yoghurt, beats any yoghurt I've had before. Their ricotta is also delicious. They are easy to find at the Innwood farmer's market on Saturdays. read more

Went on a tour of the creamery with my dad for his birthday. Despite not *technically* giving the tour, we got about an hours worth of info. It was so awesome to be able to see such passion for their animals from the people that work there. Honestly, after going on the tour, I was considering applying to intern there. And, of course, the cheese is absolutely out of this world. Each type was so distinct and soooooo tasty. The yoghurt and other products they sell were great, too. I haven't found another strawberry rhubarb preserves as good, and their marinara was quite delicious. After taking the hour and a half trek out, I did the same thing two weeks later because I needed more cheese. Support local businesses that care about their animals and visit this place!!!! read more

Very disappointing how they use Covid as an excuse to charge people ahead of time and of course they don't care about accommodating you because they already took your money. Not a good way to do business read more

Very charming, cute creamery with a great selection of cheeses. They are always very generous and accomodating with people who want to sample their large selection of cheese. They also sell olive oil and other dairy products. We use their olive oil and it is the real deal - not the swill that passes as olive oil at your average supermarket. We love trying their gelato. A variety of flavors with a denser and interesting texture. I would buy one first to see if you like it before trying all the other flavors. They have fields to the left and right of the creamery where you can watch their sheep and alpacas. They also have a beautiful Clydesdale which loves eating grass from your hand. :) Great place to sit outdoors and relax, especially with children. read more

It was a nice tour, not as elaborate as I would think, due to the fact that it is done on a Sunday and the Cheese makers are at the various Farmers markets selling their crafts. Even though we did get to see the Cheese making room and the various parts of the operation you really don't get to se any "action". Nice day out with Hubby. If it was a nicer day out we may have enjoyed sitting on their porch eating some cheese and goodies. Had packed a picnic to enjoy, but opted to sit on a bench at a nearby park instead. read more

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Picked up their Tartufo Shepherd cheese at the Ramsey farmers market. Had the foresight to let it come to room temp before eating. This cheese delivers big time!!! Nutty, creamy without being a creamy cheese, perfectly truffled. I am glad i asked their salesperson what he would recommend. This will be a definite frequent purchase for sure! Today we fininshed off the rest of that cheese. I have never reviewed a cheese before but i gotta say, this is one of the best cheeses i have ever had & i ordered the cheese plate at every restaurant i was at when i was in paris. read more

My wife and I took their 6 hour cheese making class. Valley Shepherd Creamery is a very hands-on operation with both Eran and Debra onsite. Eran was the instructor. He is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about his craft. They provided a nice continental breakfast, cheese tasting, and lunch. We learned a great deal about cheeses and cheese making. Everyone made their own wheel of cheese that will be aged in their cave for 90 days. Their cheeses and sheep yoghurts taste great. read more

We went to the Creamery for a lamb and cheese tour. The tour started with a woman showing us several videos of the cheese making process. The videos were interesting but our tour group was overlay large, with every chair filled and people standing around so the crowd noise often obscured the video's audio. Next we walked up a few stairs and were shown three bay windows- one looking into the milking room, one into the processing room, and one looking into a barn. The milking room was interesting with a unique wheel turning design. We were unable to hear any of the woman's presentation on the processing room as the crowd was so large we were in the back and the woman spoke too softly, even after being asked to speak up, for us to hear. We were then allowed to sample various cheeses but the names of the cheese weren't written down so we had no idea which cheese was what if we liked one or wanted to avoid one- such as the spicy varieties. Next the whole group walked out to the barn to see the lambs. We were told to form two lines and hold our arms out in front of us, the guide then placed a lamb into our arms, your picture was taken, you handed the lamb back and were allowed to walk around the lamb barn. Several lambs had what appeared to be sores, weeping eyes/noses, and bad coughs. One guest asked the tour guide about the various issues and she said they were normal for lambs, but another guest who said he works on a farm, stated the issues were not normal. Instead of delight at meeting the lambs I left feeling so sorry and even worried for their health and care. There was no real "end" to the tour and guests were left to wander out of the lamb barn and wander around unsure if anything else was going to happen or they should just leave. The whole tour was about an hour. read more

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Although Long Valley is a beautiful area and I had a good time on the tour I was completely turned off by the Valley Shepherd Creamery's ethics. I thought it was very unethical that the baby lambs are fed from formula rather than their mother's milk due to the fact the Creamery is what it seemed "selfish" and in the business only for money making reasons. They also said they sell their lamb's meat, meaning that some of the baby lambs that you see on the turn are eventually slaughtered - which is horrifying, making me feel as if this creamery is not only a creamery but also a killing machine. The hour tour starts with a woman explaining a little about the farm. Next, a video is shown depicting the various processes that go into making cheese. Thirdly, you get to walk and see the rooms where the cheese is made. And lastly, you get to visit all of the sheep and lambs. In terms of the tour, my favorite part was being able to hold a baby lamb. However, We got to only hold the lambs for a few minutes and then the tour was over. I feel like they should like you interact with animals more. read more

DON'T TAKE YOUR CHILDREN HERE FOR THE TOUR. First, the very knowledgeable owner of the creamery, during a long, detailed talk about cheesemaking, succeeded in putting some of the children to sleep. Then, as he continued his talk with explicit, inappropriate-for-children information about sheep breeding, SCARED the little ones by telling us that a MOTHER SHEEP WILL KICK THE RUNT OF THE LITTER TO DEATH . . . ! The cheese was fine, but the talk was unsuitable for children, and I might add, uncomfortable for adults. It was obvious that the owner of the creamery did not like his sheep and was unhappy about the high costs and labor involved in operating the creamery. Hopefully he is not the regular person that gives the talks, but rather someone more pleasant who is in touch with children and who doesn't whine about the negative aspects of the cheese business. read more

If I could give them no stars I would advertise the usual lamb farm trip we go on grandchildren get to hold baby lambs we reserved in advance and of course pay in advance the same crappy movie and then to a small tent outside to feed some lambs no babies to hold just a petting zoo pen. When asked told us Covid was to blame .. should have been told no baby lambs as they advertise and it was more crowded in the tent then all the times we saw the babies. $70 for a family of 8 to pet some lambs Valley Shepherd you should be ashamed taking advantage of people and blaming the pandemic for your money grab! read more

Great cheese, great farm, great Owner/cheese maker. This is a gem of a place in NJ, only about 1 hr from Bergen county & neighboring areas. We came here on a Saturday afternoon for a small lunch and to take a cheese cave & creamery tour. In the refrigerator they have small (1-2 oz) pre wrapped cheeses (Gotogetagoat, Melter Skelter & Tewksbury) came out to under $6, small container of home made quince paste ($.99) and a loaf of sour dough. We ate everything outside on the patio, *recommend bringing your own drinks/wine, some cutlery, etc. The tours are 1pm & 4pm during the fall on Saturdays & Sundays. It only costs a little less than $9 per person for the tour which includes a talk with the owner, a movie viewing about the creamery, hayride, cave tour, & sampling of 12 or so cheeses & a bit of gelato, totally worth it!! The cheeses are not considered expensive ($20-28 per/lb), since you only need an oz or so to really feel the extent of the richness of these cheeses. The employees at the counter were relatively nice, but a little cold when you had more than 1 question to ask. *Bring a cooler, they sell meats, pastas, ravioli, & other dairy products like butter & yogurt; that you will inevitably want to purchase. Totally worth it, I would recommend this place to any person who wants to see something you don't really get to see, and to people who want to bath in rich & creamy cheese. read more

Valley Shepard - Can be described in one word, YUM! We arrived about 15 min early for our tour. The fall tour is $8.75 and they show you a film, walk you through the facilities (The Sheep Milker is just incredible), you can even come back at 5pm to watch them live in action! Now comes the best part - SAMPLES! Trust me, you'll get more than $8.75 worth, VSC is extremely generous with their samples, you'll leave in a cheese coma AND you can still sample more later at the counter! The young girl who gave us the tour was so very knowledgeable and sweet. She then drops you off at the Hay Ride, Ah memories of when we were younger :) We pass a bunch of long bearded sheep, baby lambs and about 500 Sheep in a grassy field - WOW! Then we arrive at the "cave". This is otherwise known as the Cheese Spa, hehe. Where they pamper and age the cheese. Fascinating! Afterwards you can play with Pumpkin, their HUGE Clydesdale? Horse, the sheep and the alpaca which are free roaming behind a fence out front. We bought the Cheese (DELICIOUS) we bought the Jams (Red Pepper Yum!) but you must must must buy the RICOTTA. Best Ricotta I've ever had! They said it goes for like $18/lb imported in fancy grocery stores. They explained the difference between the "fake" stuff we have in the supermarkets vs their real Ricotta, 100% Fat Free. They explained that true Ricotta is always Fat Free and that the fat should have remained in the cheese/curds. This is good stuff, get it! We bought a picnic lunch to eat outside watching the animals, very enjoyable indeed. Grabbed a Pistachio Gelato on the way out (more icy than creamy) and stopped at the Antique store down the block. The Perfect Day! read more

The berries gelato was the best gelato I have ever had - it was smooth and "elastic-y," technically the way gelato should be. The flavor was incredible and creamy and I couldn't get enough of it. The melter skelter, nanticoke, and nettle cheeses were all great in their own ways. This is a hospitable, high quality creamery that performs well with all things dairy. read more

This place is beautiful and lovely. I came out to VS last year for their tour and now that I have a baby girl I was so excited to take her to meet the lambs in May. As a Murray's Cheese education girl, I know and appreciate the goods when it comes to cheese made with raw milk and love. Sadly, after driving the hour to get out to Long Valley, we were turned away. We did arrive about 20 minutes late but the only thing we would miss would be the video I saw last time. The girl at the counter told us point blank that they were totally booked and we couldn't hop onto the tour nor see any of the animals. I peeked in and it looked like there was plenty of room for a mom wearing a baby. I knew to not bring a stroller. Still, she didn't blink when I told her my story. It was really sad for me that we drove all that way to be turned away so dismissively. As someone who worked for a cheese education program I know to never turn someone away who has traveled a distance to pay you money to enjoy your offering. Things happen during travel and a kinder business would make an exception in our case. I was really sad to have to load everything back into our car and drive the hour back to jersey city on a day I was really looking forward to. read more

We were gifted very expensive cheeses as a Christmas present. I've eaten a lot of fine cheeses from New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, France, and England, to name a few. This is the first time I've ever gotten food poisoning from an aged cheese. read more

New Jersey has its own creamery and if you have never been here, it is definitely worth the trip. Valley Shepherd Creamery carries its own homemade line of cow, goat and sheep cheeses. You can sample any of the cheeses you wish ... I have tried basically everything and they have all been delicious. You can take a tour of the cheese cave and see how everything is made. The creamery also carries a great line of homemade gelatos and other various food items. If you have children and want to give them a thrill, this place also functions as a full sheep farm. There are sheep walking around the premises. Finally, the cheese store also carries items such as wool blankets and various lamb and sheep themed toys. If you love cheese, and want to check out local offerings, then I highly suggest you take the drive out to Valley Shepherd Creamery. You won't regret it. read more

Went there over the weekend. Sampled about 5 or 6 cheeses and bought their house standard cheese, a cheddar, a blue cheese, and another one. All excellent, we had them the next day. While I was in the store I watch what other people are buying and I saw them all going to one place in the standup refrigerator. Asked them what they were buying and it was sheep milk yogurt that they make at the farm. My wife loves Greek yogurt and I was told this comparable but better. My wife went crazy for it, said it was like nothing she tasted before, loved the tartness. I'll be back. read more

One word can only explain this place. Solid. The owner, passionate. I met him while on a cheese-making class. As a local, it is great to see such a high quality production/business like this. Keep up the great work; definitely worth it. read more

It too bad the cheese is good, because shipping options and customer service is at best marginal.

My sister, husband and I paid $46 to attend this past weekend's Autumn Leaves and Cheese Festival and could not be more disappointed. We would have had more cheese for free had we visited our local wine shop or farmer's market! It is completely unclear to us what we were paying for.. One tent was set up with about 20 tables set around the periphery. Manning these tables were various country-type businesses - baked goods, a few cheeses, coffee, salsa... the cheese samples were crumb-size cubes, hardly worth the wait of the long line. And, in terms of the rest of the farm, our children age 2 and 5 enjoyed a few minutes looking at sheep and llamas, climbing on a shiny new tractor and feeding straw to the cow. We left after 30 minutes. Not worth the drive, not worth the money. read more

Took kids over Memorial Day. So fun. Nice staff. We are local (Randolph) and it was such an easy fun day. Kids loved learning about the farm and holding the baby lambs. Bought some great cheese and gelato, cute house stuff. Overall great experience. read more

Since the weather was so nice today, my boyfriend & I decided to take a ride up. We made it for the 1:30 tour and had a great time. The web site recommends that you get there 30 - 60 minutes early on nice days, which is a bonus because it allows time to interact with some animals (a horse, goats, and alpacas) and/or grab a bite to eat. The store sells pre-made sandwiches, but we opted for a fresh loaf of raisin walnut bread and some cheese. DELICIOUS. The tour lasted about 90 minutes. Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered every question with authority. After a brief introduction, a video that gives an overview of the farm is shown. After that, we were able to view the cheese making room, the miking room, and the barn. At this point you usually have a cheese tasting, but the tray wasn't ready at this time. We had our tasting after the trip to the aging room. The trip to the aging room, which is built into the hillside, is via tractor. On this particular day, we had the opportunity to watch as the sheep were moved from one field back to the barn. What an incredible site to see a hundred (?) sheep race to the gate with just a clap of the hands. The tractor driver appears to love his job, but he is rather new and not as knowledgeable as our initial guide. We assume that is something that comes with time and exposure to the various seasonal jobs. Once we got back the tasting was ready. The guide ran through the various offerings and the differences of each. They were all delicious! My only suggestion is that if the tasting is at the end of your tour, skip this tasting and go straight to the counter in the shop. They're more than happy to give you a tasting of what is available, and you'll beat the crowd that is just wrapping up the tour. We purchased five different cheeses and two different raviolis. I can't wait for tonight's dinner!!! I also can't wait to go back in mid-April when the lambs are being born. read more

As a person with long and real commitments to local farms, I write with a heavy heart that we will no longer buy the products from nor deal with this company. Here is why. On September 21 I and my wife and our niece were scheduled to attend the day-long cheese-making class at Valley Shepherd Creamery. We learned of this class by our frequent patronage of their products at their stands both at Union Square and at the Natural History Museum Farmers Markets. On June 30, we paid $465 for the 3 classes for the September classes. We bought so early because we had 3 reasons for wanting to attend, and we didn't want to be left out: 1) we try to learn all we can about what our farmers do and the miracle and process of learning to make cheese seemed to offer a special opportunity; 2) we try to support local farmers and we were willing to pay what strikes us as serious money ($465) to do that; 3) I particularly was hopeful that our niece who has a passion for cheese might fall in love with the process and decide to make cheese-making her life's work. On September 20, we confirmed that the car we had rented (for approximately $225, bringing the anticipated total for the day to at least $690, which to us is a significant outlay. We knew it was going to be a great day. At about 5:30 on the morning of Sept. 21, when we were rising early to go to the classes, I almost fell down when I attempted to get out of bed. The room was spinning. I tried and I tried to make the world stand still. It wouldn't. I had Vertigo and there was no way that I was going to be able to travel to the Creamery nor would I be able to make cheese, nor could I be left alone. I stayed in bed and cried. My wife, more resilient and practical than I, called Valley Shepherd Creamery, to notify them that we weren't going to come. There was no accessible and visible phone number on their website which took one to a human being, nor was there more an visible and accessible email. We finally found an email that seemed possible and wrote in my name to Deborah VanSickle: Dear Deborah, We have a reservation for 3 for today's class-which we have been looking forward to for months--and sadly we cannot make it. One in our party has vertigo and she can't be left alone. Would you please call me. We would like to reschedule and we don't know what your policy is. We are so sorry and truly wish we could be there today. (She gave our phone number). Thank you. We heard nothing until Sept. 24 when we received this: "Sadly, our policy is clear. There is no reschedule or refund 30 days prior to class date. Class not attended today (PLEASE NOTE...this was now 3 days after the class) would be forfeited. Class starts at 10 am today." Again, she sent this to us 3 days after the classes were scheduled. In retrospect, if we had heard from the Valley Shepherd people in a timely way that they would not give us any chance to reschedule, it is possible that our niece, perhaps even with friends, would have gone to the class. This was not to be, because we didn't hear from them and we could not imagine such inflexibility and inappropriate greed and meanness from people in the local food movement. Since then I have asked repeatedly for some flexibility, some kind and humane approach to a problem that I see as much theirs as it is mine. I was very sick (the Vertigo lasted 3 days). As I see the situation, Valley Shepherd had opportunity costs...perhaps, yes, they could have filled our places, and perhaps some hard costs (our lunches?) but it is against all the green market and local movements stand for to think that they are entitled to $465. Even the national and public traded car rental company which has a 24 hour cancellation policy had sympathy for my illness and forgave us the full $225 fees which by their policy were due. A big corporate entity acted with compassion; Valley Shepherd Creamery did not. I have asked both by email and at their NYC markets (Union Square and the Natural History Museum) that we be allowed to attend another class...even in January, when the demand logically cannot be as strong. They don't even answer me. If you are a believer in the local food movement, including the humane treatment of animals and other live creatures (including humans) and the ethics implied in the Green Movement, I urge you to consider the above conduct of Valley Shepherd Creamery, prior to patronizing any of their facilities or purchasing any of their products. read more

My wife bought me a chees making class at the farm for Father's Day. After clearing a date change over the phone in July we drove 1 1/2 hours to our class. We met another couple there who was also waiting for the class. 20 minutes after the start time an employee showed up. She said the class was cancelled. We asked for a refund and were told that we would hear from someone the following Monday. After 4 weeks of trying to reach someone. I finally have been told I am not getting a refund. This from a business who's voicemail to the office is full and not taking messages and who's info email on their web site comes back undeliverable. There is a real issue here! Be careful! When customers are treated like this there is usually a real problem within the underlying business. I will never see my money or more importantly, get the experience my wife wanted me to have! read more

Sometimes the best experiences seem to occur when you're not even looking for them. I'm grateful to say that my visit to this farm today was just that (and more!). As my significant other and I were leaving a local B+B, we decided to check out this farm on the way home. The website is a bit deceiving in that I was expecting a small offering of butters, cheeses, meat products, etc. In reality, the food products available alone were impressive, even without mention of the toys, gifts, beauty products and other prizes you'll find in the charming shop. The farm's main focus is cheese, all of which are hand crafted and aged right on the premises. Additional offerings for purchase include hand cultured butter, directly sourced meats (lamb, pork, beef), milk, yogurt, and gelato (!!!). Products unrelated to the livestock include several fresh bread varieties, locally sourced jams/honeys/spreads, cookies, and organic sodas. In one review I honestly cannot go into the innumerable things I loved about this farm (from their energy conservation methods and brilliant milking line, to the most UNBELIEVABLE grilled cheeses I've yet to put in my mouth), but I can say if you're looking for a fun afternoon and a rejuvenating step out of the city, this is a cheap and fun option for all! read more

Valley Shepherd Creamery - The MOST amazing grilled cheese I have ever had the opportunity to eat (and I've had lots of opportunities I'll have you know). - Cheese Shops Near Me - Long Valley, New Jersey

Some of the best cheese I have ever had has been made here. They offer great tours on site. I took my daughter one day to a cheese tour and she had a great time. At the end she said she wanted to be a cheese maker when she grew up. My favorite is the Valley Shepard, the smoked, the nettlesome. You can spend a day here for sure and take home a good amount of cheese. they also used to have a fall purchase of lamb that was outstanding but they stopped doing that much to my dismay. They also have the best REAL 10 YO balsamic Vinegar there and you can do refiles on the bottles and save a couple bucks every time. The cheese cake is also good as well as the yogurt. Great place. read more

Great place!! Awesome cheese. Really nice tour guide. The animals are so sweet. All in all it was very interesting.

The quality of the cheese is incredible. Yea the tour and the lambs and all that, but... THE CHEESE!!!! *applause* read more