Speciality Food October 2024

Another trend worth paying attention to is Brits’ ever-growing love for sheep’smilk cheese. “We’re always getting asked for it,” says Paul, adding that this newfound desire for these varieties comes at a time when sheep’smilk is scarce, pushing up prices. Sheep’smilk cheese producers across the UK are reporting strong sales. Amongst them is Shepherds Purse, founded by Judy Bell in 1989, and continued today by her daughters Caroline and Katie. The sisters are overjoyed by the interest in sheep’smilk cheese, especially as it is something Judy so fiercely advocated for. “Whenwe first launched them there was a reluctance to try this new style of cheese,” Caroline says. “It was unusual at the time.” Thankfully British palates have come a long way, and consumers don’t shy away from trying different varieties of cheese. “People aremore open and embracing, and perhaps more experienced of sheep’smilk cheeses having travelled to France, Spain and the broader Mediterranean region,” Caroline thinks. “Modern consumers aremore informed and conscientious about their food choices,” she adds, saying that in addition to an uptick of interest in sheep’smilk cheese, she’s finding a growing demand for transparency around sourcing, productionmethods and environmental impact. Echoing Jonny’s thoughts, Caroline says, “We all want to knowwhere our food comes from, not just where it was packed. More work on this via clear @specialityfood 34 keen that territorials continue to be championed. “It’s vital that they don’t die off. Things like Lancashire cheese andWensleydale are hugely important and the only way to maintain them is by encouraging new people into cheesemaking – to get them excited about it!” The importance of British cheese Victoria Dunthorne of Victoria’s Cheese is excited by the growth of the British cheese industry and says it’s more integral to the food and drink sphere than we might think. “Yes, it’s brilliant for our livestock farmers and cheesemakers, but it’s also great for our national speciality food scene in general,” she explains. “As a retailer, who hasn’t had their Continentals held up at customs? And what about price hikes?” Buying cheese fromBritish makers, Victoria says, is a “no brainer. It creates jobs and brings people back in touch with where their food comes from.” In addition to being culturally significant, especially territorial varieties, artisanal cheese has its part to play in a more sustainable future for dairy – and in British food security – adds Priya Taylor of Clawson Farms, and the ongoing success of these products relies on supporting farmers. “As a farming cooperative, it’s really important for us to look after our farmers and local communities,” Priya explains. “They are a big part of what makes us who we are. Farmers go through a lot of stresses, in terms of rising feed costs and production costs. It does make things quite difficult, but we’re there for them, supporting them. We’ve got 30 member farmers, all within 30miles of our dairy, and they reallymatter.” Looking after British farmers and buying fromBritish cheesemakers helps to preserve this short, traceable chain of local food production and sustains local communities agrees Caroline Bell, managing director of Shepherds Purse. “It also reduces carbon footprint compared to imported cheeses thanks to low foodmiles.” British cheese “just keeps getting better,” Caroline adds, saying the richness and variety available today is in part thanks to innovation, and makers having the gumption to riff off traditional styles to create delicious new varieties. “Lincolnshire Poacher, Baron Bigod, Cornish Yarg and our own Yorkshire Blue and Mrs Bell’s Blue are good examples of unique cheeses which have become established in Britain that are distinctive to their makers,” she says. This freedom and experimental nature has been crucial in steering British cheese in the right direction, and contrasts with the restrictive PDOmodel many larger European manufacturers find themselves in. “There are certainly pros and cons to each,” Caroline says. “But its unquestionable that the Britishmodel has led to rich diversity, which has been possible in part thanks to the support of retail too.” What are shoppers looking for? Ametric for shoppers that’s become evenmore noticeable in 2024 is wellbeing and health. Consumers are thinking about their gut and microbiome, and have become cautious about ultra processed foods and ingredients. They’re turning to natural, artisan-made products in a bid to improve their diets. And that includes choosing better cheese. Jonny says artisan cheese has a role to play in people’s quests for cleaner, more wholesome baskets. “We’re in the middle of a movement towards good food again, and cheese has led the revival, alongside other foods like bread. It’s right at the centre, which is amazing. Cheese is such a simple product, which is an important part of its appeal. It’s just milk, but with time and cultures it gets turned into all these amazing flavours and it’s really good for you. It’s a fermented food, so it’s great for your gut, and it has all those proteins and carbs combined into something wonderful and tasty.” Wemust, Jonny adds, thinking “We’ve had an ethos from the start, that our cheese should bemade by hand, on the farm, using our milk. Staying true to that, and having that continuity of story, is one of the reasons I think customers love our cheese somuch.” They also appreciate, he says, the fact that Baron Bigodmight change in appearance slightly depending on the seasons. “As a cheesemaker, you’re always striving for consistency, but we can’t change the fact themilk changes through the year, depending onwhat the cows are eating. We could standardise that by keeping them in a shed and feeding themgrain all year, but what makes cheeses like ours special and so appealing is celebrating those differences.” Food tastes better when it has a story behind it, Jonny adds. “People appreciate it more when they know their cheese has beenmade by hand for them.” As well as health and storytelling, Paul says the teamat Rowcliffe have noticed a surge of interest in robust flavours – be it hard, Alpine-style cheeses, goats’ cheese or blue. “In blues the growthwe’ve seen is in creamier, slightlymilder ones likeMontagnolo. There’s a bit of a misconception about blue cheese. Most people will say they think it’s too strong, but there are some fabulous sweeter British blues such as Cornish Blue, Isle of Wight Blue and Perl Las. They have a Continental feel and an indulgent texture that really seems to be popular at themoment.” about the conversation around ultra processed food, separate out specialist cheeses. “They are a natural food. Yes, they are processed, but virtually every food is processed in some form. Cheese is positive for health, like many other things, inmoderation.” As well as looking for better quality options, Jonny says he’s findingmore people resonating with the story of cheese, wanting to knowwhere it’s fromand who’s made it, which is where retailers and their expertise come in. “We’ve beenmaking Baron Bigod for 11 years and we’ve stuck to our core beliefs fromday one,” he says. Whenmy dad started, there were about 30 cheeses on his bench. Now, we list between 65 and 70, and a huge proportion of those are British RORY MELLIS, IJ MELLIS