Monday 3 August 2009

Question:- Who produces the Champion Cheddar in the UK? Do you know?
















Answer:- MilkLink Lockerbie Creamery! Though there are many different classes .... Best Farmhouse Traditional Award went to Quickes Cheese from Devon.
Isnt it great to see a pasture based cheese win yet again. The Best Extra Mature Cheddar was won by my old friends Murray Goulburn Cooperative from Victoria Australia.....yet another grass fed produced cheese.....top of the (world) class!
Last week I ploughed thru the mud at the Nantwich Show to see the famous cheese tent. What a sight, hundreds of cheeses competing for prizes & cups. If I was critical there was lots of cheddar & cheddar look a likes but not enough variety. Where were the amazing range of cheeses now being produced locally. I wanted to see & taste more of the 800 boutique cheeses now produced in the UK. Nantwich is a world recognized cheese show.
I get grumpy when I'm offered a cheese board that is made up of imported cheeses....we all need to complain loudly about where are the local cheeses?
Pasture based or grass fed dairy products often taste better, look better & are better for you. Pasture fed dairy cows produce milk which is higher in Omega 3s. Clover based pastures are rich in nutrients & minerals.
So how proud was I to see Mary Quicke & her farm/cheese team (members of the Hybrids Discussion Group) win Gold Awards. http://www.quickes.co.uk/
How proud was I to meet up with Catherine Mead cheesemaker of Cornish Yarg who along with husband Ben Mead are also pasture based dairy farmers.http://www.lynherdairies.co.uk/
But how sad is it that these people are not recognised Champions within our dairy industry. How sad is it that virtually no one knows who produces the very Best Cheddar in England.
How few farmers know that "Tickler"http://ticklercheese.co.uk/ is a market leader for Milk Link? We are quick to blame others for low milk prices to farmers but if we dont champion our own Champions......who is really to blame its our world class product?

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