Speciality Food Magazine -November/December 2025

specialityfoodmagazine.com 39 each having their own pattern or ‘fingerprint’ - almost watercolour- like sweeps of teal, slate grey and Prussian blue. After four weeks in the maturation rooms, the Stiltons are pierced over the course of a fortnight, before being graded at six weeks. Clawson Farms’ master graders knowwhat they’re looking for, and only the best cheeses which have met all their ‘golden rules’ are selected for sale. “We’re looking at the shape, and the amount of blueing,” explains Richard. “We want a nice open texture and a good, even blueing all the way down the iron.” At this stage the cheeses will be selected as Blue Stilton PDO and sold at around eight to 10 weeks, enhanced with affinage to be sold as Mature Blue Stilton PDO at approximately 12 weeks, or triple graded as a Reserve Blue Stilton PDO – tasting for superiority at the point of packing. Clearly they’re doing something right. “We’ve won a lot of awards for our blue cheeses. In the last three years our Blue Stilton PDO and Shropshire Blue have both been Supreme Champions at the ICDAs. That’s not something that happens very often, and I think goes to show the quality of our cheesemaking year-round, and that if we follow our ‘golden rules’ we will make excellent cheese. I’ve been doing this for 37 years, and we’re in the best place we’ve ever been. The investment this company has made and the technology we use have really been advantageous inmaintaining quality.” On the subject of Shropshire Blue, this is a cheese that’s causing excitement at counters across the UK, as a striking addition to the cheeseboard, or cooking, and is being discovered by a whole new audience who can’t get enough of its rich orange colour (fromnatural annatto extract), deep flavour and creamy nature. It’s made andmaturedmuch in the same way as Stilton, “but it’s a bit more creamy andmellow,” says Richard. “We use slightly different cultures and have slightly different fat and protein ratios. The cultures break the cheese down a bit faster whichmakes it milder.” Social media trends (such as the viral ‘cheese pull’) are putting products in front of an ever-younger audience, drawn to not only the Instagram appeal of what they eat, but also by brands they consider to be authentic and story-led. “We’re witnessing an exciting resurgence in traditional British cheeses and artisanal blues,” says Clawson Farms MD, Bill Mathieson, adding that the business is being incredibly agile in responding to potential new customers – customers who are prioritising ingredients that are natural, fermented, and UPF free. The teamhave been out and about sampling everything from blue cheese cocktails to blue cheeseburgers with this burgeoning audience, working with influencers such as Ady Smith to capture their imagination. And in the cheesemaking rooms, innovation has been ongoing within the 1912 range. “We always talk about this as being ‘the perfect introduction to Blue Cheese for new consumers’,” says Bill, adding that 1912 is “utterly moreish”. It’s a great testament to the skill of Clawson Farms’ cheesemakers, and a major development, he continues, that they’ve been able to adapt the 1912 recipe, making it milder and creamier in order to recruit a younger blue cheese audience – notably Gen- Z, while retaining the superior quality this brand is renowned for. Clawson Farms has further demonstrated that it has its finger on the pulse by adopting new formats. Data fromMintel’s UK Cheese Market Report 2024, showed 49% of adult cheese consumers would find smaller formats of high-quality cheese appealing beyond special occasions. In response, new 150g wedges and 50g snack packs of Blue Stilton PDO have been added to the range. The snack pack, already trialled inM&S stores, is proving a hit, encouraging discovery at a price point those new to blue cheese are willing to try. “We want to existing customers to reach for Stiltonmore regularly, and to enable those dipping their toes into blue cheese for the first time to be adventurous without laying out a great cost,” Bill continues. “The Stilton renaissance isn’t about nostalgia – it’s about relevance!” Find out more about Clawson Farms at clawsonfarms.co.uk FARMER FOCUS Four days of the week, Ruth Grice is either at Clawson Farms HQ or out on farms, working with partners in the co-operative. The rest of the time, she can be found out in the fields at Yard Farm (itself part of Clawson Farms’ co-operative) only four miles from the dairy, which she runs with her parents. “We’ve been on this particular farm since 1952,” she says, “but we’ve farmed here for over 100 years, and in the last 300 years have moved between two villages, so we’re very local!” Yard Farm is typical of Clawson Farms’ collective, being small, family-run and keenly attuned to the health and welfare of its animals, the land and more widely the environment and wildlife in and around its own fields. A herd of just 200 pedigree Holsteins, bred in a closed herd system, all with their own names and individual personalities, feed outside on the grasses of the Leicestershire countryside from April to October, looked after by a teamwho, Ruth adds, are “so fantastic”. For Ruth, with her sustainability hat on, there is so much good going on within the co-operative, and this is something she speaks about with a great deal of pride. At Yard Farm, they’ve been working hard to reduce their carbon emissions as much as possible. “Part of that is being as efficient as we can. Without pointing out the obvious, that starts with making sure our cows are happy and as healthy as they can be, living long lives, which is better for our carbon footprint, and better for our bottom line.” This diligence extends to feed, with the farm switching from added soya to alternatives like rapeseed and rape meal (which has seen a reduction in carbon), increasing biodiversity by planting more trees and hedgerows, and managing water courses as efficiently as possible. Sustainability, within Clawson Farms, isn’t only environmental – it’s about nurturing people too. Yard Farm directly and indirectly employs local people, hosts local farming groups, and offers work experience placements for young vets. “Our Clawson community has been around since 1912,” adds Ruth. “Some of our families have been in the co-operative since that date, and we all share a similar ethos for sustainability. Everyone comes at it slightly differently. Each farm is different. The land we’re working on is different. The cows and staff teams are different. But everyone’s on board, and I think a huge advantage is that we have a brilliantly short supply chain. We can share information so easily.” In many ways, Clawson Farms is part and parcel of local life, she continues. “We’ve supplied Clawson Farms for the past 30 years, and like all the other farmers, we’re super proud to be in dairy. While this part of the world we do grow some good grass, we’re mostly surrounded by beef, sheep and arable farming,” says Ruth. “It’s Stilton cheese that keeps dairy farms in this area alive, and we’re so, so happy to be part of that story.” Clawson Farms’ farm liaison and sustainability manager, Ruth Grice, is proud to be part of the very special farm co-operative at the heart of the business The red that’s turning heads Part of Clawson Farms’ job, as one of Britain’s leading artisan cheesemakers, is engagement with consumers, and turning perceptions on their axis. An area where they’ve achieved great success in this department (other than in blues) is with Red Leicester. This category of cheese has endured years of scrutiny, largely because what’s available most widely is mass-produced and considered bland and rubbery. Clawson Farms’ Rutland Red has shone a bright spotlight on the variety, helping to set the industry standard, impressing experts and judges along the way. In 2024, Aged Rutland Red was named Best Territorial Cheese in the British Cheese Awards, and took Gold in the Global Cheese Awards. Less than 500 wheels are produced at Clawson Farms every week, crafted in a very traditional, hands-on method using two vessels, including a beautiful 80-year-old vintage vat, which takes only 4,500lts of milk at a time. It’s a short make (taking less than four hours). After cultures and annatto are added, the curds are cheddared, hand salted, and decanted into cloth-linedmoulds, before being pressed in a tower, and brushed with clarified butter. “Some people say they can taste the butter on the rind, but its main job is to stop the cheese drying out too quickly,” Richard says. A further difference between Rutland Red and run-of-the-mill reds is the maturing process. “We’re air drying which allows the cheese to mature properly. Cheaper cheeses are matured in plastic, so the flavours don’t concentrate.” Air drying has a profound effect on the finished cheese. “It’s got a sweeter, nuttier taste. We mature for around sixmonths on this product and in that process the natural flora in the air start to interact with the cheese, giving it its characteristics. It’s more flaky and rustic, with a nice snap to it.” Excellence meets modern tastes Sales of speciality and artisan cheeses are on the up as consumers continue to invest cheese across multiple dining occasions – from ‘picky teas’, to grazing boards. PARTNER CONTENT