A PIONEERING Dales farmer is the first in Britain to make a healthy Icelandic-style super yoghurt, which is naturally high in protein and calcium but has zero fat.

Sam Moorhouse, 22, of Hesper Farm at Bell Busk, is set to officially launch Hesper Farm Skyr at the Harrogate Fine Food Show on Sunday and it will shortly be available from Keelham Farm Shop in Skipton.

It follows trips to Iceland to train in the art of making the naturally fat-free skyr, as well as building a new dairy at the farm to produce it on site using milk from the farm’s award-winning pedigree Aireburn Herd.

Sam, whose family has farmed locally for generations, is excited to be the first farmer to launch skyr here in Britain and the first to bring skyr to the market with British milk.

He explains: “I started to read up on skyr when I was looking at ways we might be able to diversify.

“It really caught my attention because it’s massive across Scandinavia and Iceland, and has really taken off in America too.

“It’s a really interesting product with great health benefits and I realised no-one was making it here. A few supermarkets have just started stocking skyr but we are the first to make it in England, using British milk.

“The cow on our pots and logo epitomises what we are trying to do. It’s a drawing of a cow called Baby that I bought at an auction a long time ago. I liked the look of her unusual markings.

“Her temperament means she always stands out from the crowd too. She does exactly as she pleases and there is no persuading her otherwise,” he said.

“She’s been with us all these years and really represents our aim in doing something different and making skyr – we don’t follow the herd.”

Skyr – pronounced skeer – is a staple in Iceland and dates back to around the ninth century. It is made by incubating skimmed milk with live active cultures. The water contained in the milk – the whey – is then strained away.

“Per pot, about four times as much milk as an equivalent pot of traditional plain yoghurt is used meaning it’s incredibly thick and creamy. It also means that the skyr contains more protein and calcium than standard yoghurt.”

Sam realised he would need expert tuition to learn how to make it, so set off for Reykjavik and asked around delis until he was put in touch with dairy engineer Thorarinn Sveinsson, who has worked in the dairy industry all his life, just as his father did before him.

Thorarinn taught him the labour-intensive process behind making skyr and then visited Hesper Farm once the new purpose-built dairy was finished to make sure the skyr Sam was producing was perfect.

Thorarinn said: “I had been getting increasing numbers of phone calls from people interested in skyr but I was so impressed with Sam, I knew I wanted to work with him. He has taken the whole process so seriously and has paid attention to every last detail. In fact he is using a heritage culture which originally dates back to 874, meaning his skyr is actually genuine Icelandic skyr – the real thing made in the Yorkshire Dales.

“Skyr is part of every day life in Iceland. I am sure that with its delicious taste and the health benefits you’ll see it becoming part of life here too. I have loved my visit to the Yorkshire Dales. It is a truly beautiful part of England.”

Hesper Farm skyr will be available to buy from Keelham Farm Shop, on Gargrave Road in Skipton when it opens on June 24 as well as being stocked for guests of the Coniston Hotel and County Estate.

For more information about Hesper Farm Skyr please visit hesperfarmskyr.co.uk or find them on facebook at Hesper Farm Skyr.