Speciality Food October 2024

“I’mseeing second generations of cheesemakers coming through, like over at the Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co where Jo and David Clarke’s son is now involved, at Lynher Dairies where Catherine’s son Otto ismaking cheese, and the Keen family, who are now sixth generation cheesemakers.” “There’s a lot of newpeople who are interested in cheesemaking coming through now,” agrees Jonny Crickmore of Fen FarmDairy. “It’s brilliant to see somuch happening, and we’ve been trying to do our bit, helping new cheesemakers who come to visit us. We’re always happy to give people advice and to encourage them.” There’s an enormous sense of pride across the entire British cheese industry at what has been achieved. “We’ve got to be proud of what we’re making and our farmers,” says RoryMellis, director of IJMellis. “And themore we support British cheesemakers, themore fantastic products we’ll have to show off. We’re visited by a lot of tourists where we are in Edinburgh, and they’re shocked at the sheer quality of what’s being made in Britain.” As well as fostering the next generation of makers, and welcoming new cheeses to the market, Rory is Artisan cheese in the UK isn’t an industry... it’s a passion, a tradition and a vocation for the many people who produce it. In this special report, we speak to makers and retailers about their pride and love for this very important part of the British food scene specialityfoodmagazine.com COMMENTATORS PAUL HEASMAN ROWCLIFFE JONNY CRICKMORE FEN FARM DAIRY VICTORIA DUNTHORNE VICTORIA’S CHEESES PRIYA TAYLOR CLAWSON FARMS AGREATBRITISH LOVE AFFAIR P eeking into the cheese cabinet or counter of any good specialist retailer today is a feast for the senses. There are striking, whole, hand buttered, clothbound Cheddars withmottled edges not unlike the leather binding of ancient books. Delicate, silky soft goats’ cheeses dappled with ash or rolled in dried flower petals. Plump, supple Bries and Camemberts with velvety rinds. And bold blues which cut open to reveal sage-coloured ripples. These are only a small representation of the British contingent. It’s astonishing to think that just three decades ago what we could find at the cheesemonger was vastly different. There would have been Cheddar, maybe a fewpieces of territorials such as Lancashire or Cheshire... a wheel of Stilton. Beyond that the lay of the land would be cheesemakers. “A lot of themused to be inmilk and dairy and because of milk pricing had to diversify. Their ingenuity is quite incredible. It’s amazing to think that whenwe first started expanding into speciality cheeses at Rowcliffe we were benchmarking against the French, Italians and other countries. Now they come here to see howwemake cheese, and to learn fromus. The diversity and variety we have here is great.” Rather than standing still, the British cheese world is ever evolving and looking to the future, Paul adds. swathes of Continental varieties – antidotes to the bland, waxy, mild andmature block cheeses that had become ubiquitous in supermarkets. The so-called renaissance of British cheese has turned the sector on its axis, withmore retailers than ever before leaning into local and regional varieties which have strong links to the landscape and terroir – be it the craggy hillsides of Wales, Scotland and Yorkshire, or the lushmeadows and pastures of theWest Country. Paul Heasman, purchasing manager at Rowcliffe, says he admires the resilience of our modern 33 RORY MELLIS IJ MELLIS CAROLINE BELL SHEPHERDS PURSE We’re in themiddle of amovement towards good food again, and cheese has led the revival, alongside other foods like bread. It’s right at the centre, which is amazing JONNY CRICKMORE, FEN FARM DAIRY