Speciality Food April 2025

specialityfoodmagazine.com 35 HighWeald Dairy in Sussex is preparing tomake its 500th batch of Brighton Blue. “It’s quite a big deal, this make,” said office manager Craig Payne. “Everyone’s looking forward to celebrating this achievement. The cheese has won so many awards, including two Super Golds at the World Cheese Awards, Gold at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards, and Gold at the British Cheese Awards. It’s become one of our signature varieties and to reach our 500thmake is quite something!” Brighton Blue is a creamy, semi-soft cow’s milk blue, with a mellow, more delicate flavour. It’s aged for six to eight weeks and Craig said it “tends to be liked by the young and the old because it’s not too overpowering on the palate”. The cheese is available in 150g fixed weight pieces, or as 800g and 1.6kg deli cuts. Cheesemaker celebrates milestone People’s Cheese competition returns Camphill unveils commemorative cheese Camphill Village Trust at Botton Village near Whitby has spent seven decades perfecting craft cheeses in its on-site dairy using award-winning, unpasteurised milk from the Trust’s herd of Short Horn dairy cattle into nine varieties, all the while providing support and opportunities to adults with learning disabilities, mental health challenges and complex needs. To mark the Trust’s 70-year anniversary, a new cheese – Jubilee – has been created. Mild and slightly crumbly, with an appearance, taste and texture similar to Wensleydale, Jubilee is matured for between five weeks and several months, for what they say is an “uncomplicated and comforting” flavour. “Choosing Botton Village Organic Cheese means more than indulging in a delectable treat,” said retail officer Suzanne Taylor. “It’s about supporting a unique and inspiring community that champions inclusively, empowerment and sustainable practices.” County Clare-based St Tola Cheese has recently announced a new addition to its offering – St Tola Karst. “After a quiet winter, the farm is now back in full swing with more goats kidding,” said owner Siobhán Ní Gháirbhith. “This means a lot more milk, of course, and that our cheese house is back in full production. St Tola Karst is the newest cheese in the family, named after its resemblance to the karst limestone landscape in the Burren near us here.” The raw milk cheese was developed with guidance from Neal’s Yard Dairy and has a fluffy, creamy texture and bright flavour with hints of sweet cocoa. “It is gently rolled by hand in vegetarian ash, then left to mature to develop its rich, delicious but not overpowering flavour with a mousse-like texture due to that handmade nature,” added Siobhán. “It is best paired simply with the freshest of seasonal fruit like figs, strawberries or blackberries, though chefs are using it to create some fantastic dishes also.” New Irish cheese launches The Real Cheese Project has just announced the return of People’s Cheese, revealing that this year’s competition will celebrate cheesemaking innovation in the UK. Coined ‘Britain’s Best New Cheese’ the event, sponsored by Chiswick Cheese Market, is now calling for makers of new varieties from across the UK to submit their entries, free of charge, for the first round of public voting on 15th June. As in previous editions of the competition, the People’s Cheese 2025 final will be broadcast live online in September, with cheese lovers able to join the public judging panel by purchasing a tasting box of the four finalists, and tuning in on the night to help decide the winner. James Grant, co-founder of The Real Cheese Project, said, “We’re super excited to now be championing Britain and Northern Ireland’s newest cheeses. It’s been a joy sharing so many incredible artisan cheeses with our public over the past two years, and we know they’re going to be blown away by the thriving innovation on the UK cheese scene.” Find out more at therealcheeseproject.co.uk