Speciality Food Magazine JulyAugust 2024

CHEESE UNCUT 22 New retail perspectives from industry experts The ‘Oscars of the cheese industry’ named the Leicestershire-based producer’s Blue Stilton as its top pick in this year’s awards . British Stilton is making its comeback on the cheese scene as Long Clawson’s Blue Stilton took the crown at this year’s International Cheese & Dairy Awards (ICDAs), one of the world’s biggest platform for world-class cheese. Long Clawson Dairy’s Blue Stilton stole the show at the event, held at Bingley Hall in Staffordshire County Showground on 27th-28th June. It marks the cheesemaker’s second win in just three years, after its Shropshire Blue won the title in 2022. “We are absolutely ecstatic to win Supreme Champion for our delicious Blue Stilton,” said Bill Mathieson, managing director at Long Clawson Dairy. “This victory is like winning an Oscar in the cheese industry. “Stilton is a national treasure, and we really hope this win will help people reacquaint their love with it because it’s such a fantastic cheese,” he continued. The ICDA, which has its roots in Nantwich from 1897, has grown to be the leading cheese and dairy event bringing together buyers and sellers from the dairy industry worldwide, and its stamp of approval for Blue Stilton will be a boon for the cheese, Bill said. “Stilton generally has had quite a tough time in the last few years with lots of imported cheese coming in and it only really being considered as a part of the Christmas cheeseboard, but this win really is support of our campaign to ‘Save our Stilton’.” Long Clawson’s team of master cheesemakers have more than 200 years of collective experience, and Bill hailed the moment as a proud one for the whole team. “It’s such a feat for a farming cooperative like ours to be recognised for the fantastic skill that goes into our artisanal cheesemaking process,” he said. Each year, more than 5,500 Long Clawson’s Stilton wins Supreme Champion at ICDA 2024 Nettlebed Creamery is celebrating being named Supreme Champion at the Virtual Cheese Awards. Witheridge – a semi-hard cheese aged in hay – is the third organic cheese in the awards’ five-year history to take the prize . Penny Nagle of the Organic Cheesemaker’s Network says, “This is an endorsement of just how good organic milk and cheese tastes. For organic cheese to beat all other handmade artisan cheeses in the UK and Ireland is an achievement in itself, but to do this three years out of five indicates that organic cheese is recognised by professional cheese tasters as tasting a whole lot better than non-organic options.” “The quality of British cheese entered into our awards just keeps on getting better,” says Sarah de Wit of the Virtual Cheese Awards. “We’re proud that an organic cheese has been crowned Supreme Champion. Witheridge in Hay is a truly spectacular cheese that wowed judges.” Hot on the tails of Baron Bigod – Fen Farm’s stellar cheese, which is now recognised globally – a new dairy has launched in Suffolk, releasing its first ever product, Pyghtle. Maker and Broughton Hall Dairy co-founder, Emily Tydeman (who runs the business with husband Sam) cut her teeth at nearby Suffolk Farmhouse Cheeses, and was head cheesemaker until recently, ensuring the quality of production of Suffolk Gold, Suffolk Blue and Suffolk Brie. Pyghtle is a soft, lactic, melting cheese, made with raw milk from sheep raised on nearby fields, with the name alluding to an old Suffolk word, translated to refer to a small patch of grass enclosed on a farm. Emily describes it as “sweet” and “gentle” with a rich creaminess from a slow making process which creates a cheese “that is so luxurious”. It’s slightly tangy, getting fudgier and denser with age, before hitting earthy, meaty notes. Organic cheese claims top spot at Virtual Cheese Awards A new cheesemaker for Suffolk SUPREME CHAMPION CHEESE Winner LONG CLAWSON – Blue Stilton Reserve DEWLAY – Tasty Lancashire SUPREME CHAMPION DAIRY PRODUCT MANOR FARM DAIRY – Orange & Passion Fruit Yogurt The Champion UK MORRISONS – Mature Double Gloucester The Reserve Champion UK CROPWELL BISHOP – Stilton The Champion Overseas BRADBURYS – Marcel Petit Morbier The Reserve Champion Overseas LUSTENBURGER & DURST SA – 1862 Creamy & Extra Tangy SUPREME SPECIALIST/ ARTISAN CHEESEMAKER LUSTENBURGER & DURST SA – 1862 Creamy & Extra Tangy CHEESE BOARD AWARDS OLIVE ARCHITECTS – Black Garlic & Ginger THE ICDA 2024 WINNERS entries are made for cheese and dairy products in the ICDAs, and this year the team behind the event built on the success of last year’s show with even more entries across the categories. While Long Clawson won the Supreme Champion Cheese category, Dewlay was named as the reserve for its Tasty Lancashire cheese, which is made to the traditional Lancashire two-day curd recipe. GILLIAN ALLARD Maker releases five new goats’ cheeses Family-run Somerset dairy, White Lake Cheese, has expanded its range considerably by bringing to market a quintet of new goats’ cheeses. Equinox is an aromatic, semi-soft cheese washed in Equinox ale from the Glastonbury Brewing Company. It has a creamy, melt-in-the-mouth interior and punchy rind, and makes a great baking cheese, says the producer. King of the Castle is White Lake’s take on a Caerphilly, being salty and sweet with a slight squeak, light freshness and citrussy tang. Glaston Tile is a firm, fresh, creamy cheese that could be used in place of Feta, while Glaston Brick is a large version, suited to deli counters or foodservice. Finally, Smo’King is a smoked version of King of the Castle. Roger Longman of White Lake Cheese, says, “Ever since I introduced our herd of Alpine goats to Bagborough Farm, my aim has been to show something that the French already knew, that goats’ cheeses can be as diverse and interesting as cow’s cheeses, if not more so. That is why we continue to bring new goats’ cheeses to the market of all different types and textures, with each one having its own unique quality.” Roger says he is especially proud of King of the Castle as it’s based on a cow’s Caerphilly recipe his parents used. “We even had one of their old employees, Rose, come and help us to make sure it was just right.” @specialityfood