Speciality Food April 2025

38 UPDATE SPOTLIGHT ON: RUTLANDRED Rutland Red has long been the hidden gem in Clawson’s crown, but the time has come for this extra special cheese to shine only pasteurised Red Leicester made using traditional methods, is rich in flavour with a flaky texture. Intensely savoury with a hint of buttery caramel and nuttiness on the finish, Bill likes to enjoy it “with a sweet relish on a cracker with a glass of great red wine.” The golden touch As valuable to Clawson as its cheesemaking traditions are the talented craftspeople who create it. “We have a number of colleagues here whose families have worked here for generations,” says Bill. “Richard, who is our head cheesemaker, is the third generation of his family who have produced cheese at Clawson – his grandmother used tomake Stilton here, and a great unclemade a Red Leicester. It’s wonderful that these traditional skills have been passed as in other markets – for example, in France, Champagne would be celebrated for having a PDO. Indeed, the story of Rutland Red has its roots in Stilton production, with the sales of the latter often weighted towards Christmas and production reliant on springmilk. To utilise themilk fromother seasons, many Stilton-makers created a Red Leicester-style cheese and Clawson reinvigorated this in the early 2000s, using traditional methods including open vats, handheld hoops and presses, and turning and grading by hand. The open-textured cheese, once formed, is clothbound and smothered in butter which both retainsmoisture and boosts flavour. This intense flavour develops as the cheese matures for aminumumof six months. The resultant cheese, the V isit any esteemed cheese counter in the UK, and chances are they’ll have a masterpiece by Clawson Farms on show. Stilton® and Shropshire Blue are popular choices, but Rutland Red – a richly buttered Red Leicester with sweet-savoury notes and a flaky texture – is also ripe and ready for enjoyment. As well as its range being revered by cheese lovers for generations, Clawson is dedicated to doing things right – from its utilisation of modern technology to ensure consistently high quality products to the artistry of its in-housemaster cheesemakers and its sustainable support of local farming communities, this is a business with heart. Concientious cheesemaking Since 1912, the Clawson cooperative has supported a growing number of dairy farmers in its local community via the creation of fine quality artisanal cheeses, and this philosophy rings through ever stronger today. “The business was founded by 12 local dairy farmers to build amore sustainable living for themselves while investing in the next generation of farmers, and while we are now owned by 30 farmers located within a 30mile radius our mission is still the same,” begins Bill Mathieson, managing director. “It’s what getsme out of bed in themorning – the aim to do what we can to support the farmers in our local area. I love knowing that we’re creating positive change in the community.” With 25% of Clawson’s profit going back to the farmers and 75% being reinvested in the future of the business, growth has been sustainable – a credit to the seven-strong board of farmers who govern the business and the broader cooperativemembers who have consistently invested in the business. The business is currently navigating the same “choppy waters” as other farmers and cheesemakers, but the team is passionate about doing so sustainably, working with environmental consultantsMap of Ag to create viable sustainability plans to reduce the business’s eco footprint fromfield to counter. Amodern classic Sitting at the heart of the stunning Vale of Belvoir, it’s only natural that the provenance and heritage of Clawson is a leading light in its present and future plans. “We’re constantly inspired by being able to trace our products back to the farm where themilkwas produced, and the fact that our closest farm is only 1,000 yards from the dairy is a source of genuine pride,” says Bill. This proximity to its suppliers is just one of the elements feeding into the PDO status of some of its products – namely Blue Stilton® andWhite Stilton®– but Bill has long been surprised around the lack of consumer understanding around what PDO statusmeans, which in the case of Stiltonmeans it can only be produced in and withmilk from Leicestershire, Nottinghamand Derbyshire. Additionally, it has to be made to a traditional Stilton-making process. Bill calls upon the industry to domore education around this, PAUL EGGLESTON, CHAIRMAN, AND HIS DAUGHTER AMY BILL MATHIESON, MD Our vision is to be the number one cheesemaker for provenance and to handcraft consistently excellent cheeses by ourmaster cheesemakers, using their care and craft to delight cheese lovers again and again the uniquemicroflora within our maturation rooms to ensure we have the best ecosystem for our cheeses, as creating a great cheese is not just about what you do when you combine ingredients, it’s also about the affinage and how you care for the cheese after it’s been produced.” To produce cheeses as special as Clawson’s, a certain kind of magic has to be present in the formof master cheesemakers, who at Clawson Farms have each developed a set of golden rules for each cheese type. “These will be tweaked throughout the year asmilk constantly changes and each cheese is different, but they all have a sense of methodology and consistency to what they do,” says Bill. “Cheese is a living organismand as such is going to show variations, so we are careful to create the optimum conditions for our products to thrive and be consistently delicious.” With consumers across the UK and beyond relishing Clawson’s cheeses – and awards judges too; Rutland Red won the Best Territorial Cheese at the British Cheese Awards 2024 and a goldmedal at the Global Cheese Awards 2024, while its Stilton won Supreme Champion at the International Cheese Awards in 2024, which followed Shropshire Blue being named Supreme Champion in 2022 – the sky’s the limit, but the teamhas no interest in being the biggest player in themarket. “Our vision is to be the number one cheesemaker for provenance, and to handcraft consistently excellent cheeses by our master cheesemakers and using their care and craft to delight cheese lovers again and again,” says Bill. With the likes of Rutland Red in its arsenal, and a plethora of fine food credentials under its belt, it is well on its way. Bill concludes, “Rutland Red still continues to be a hidden gem largely because it has very limited distribution in cheese shops, delis and garden centres, so please support our farming cooperative and bring our hidden gem for your customers to enjoy. Speak to your wholesalers about stocking Clawson’s Rutland Red.” down fromgeneration to generation within our team. “Indeed, the family of our chairman, Paul Eggleston, were founding members, showing the longevity of involvement and relationships in the community and highlighting thismulti-generational vein still runs through everything we do, from farmers to cheesemakers..” While time-honoured skills and a rich cheesemaking heritage are at its heart, Clawson has invested inmodern technology to boost the consistency and efficiency of its operations, says Bill. “For example, we’ve recently invested in state- of-the-art air handling units in our cheese rooms tomaintain optimum moisture levels and improves the quality of the cheese. We’ve even beenworking with the University of Nottingham tomap the DNA of @specialityfood