Yesterday, Gloucesters both single and double, Leicesters red, Stiltons blue and Lancashires warning “not for the faint hearted” were assembled in Oxfordshire for all to sample at the Great British Cheese Festival.
From across the UK and Ireland, 12,000 people descended upon the county to taste the very best of British and Irish cheese. According to Juliet Harbutt, chairman of the festival, this number is growing every year.
The festival, situated on a field next to Millets Farm Centre, featured 460 different cheeses from four different sources – cow, sheep, goat, and more unusually, buffalo. These cheeses were displayed on 175 different stalls and were complimented by the best of English ciders, perries, beers and wines. Other vendors, selling chutneys, jams, sausages, breads, and curries, filled out the festival.
For ₤8.50 for an adult (concessions ₤6.50), entry to a virtually unlimited sampling of cheeses was gained. For a bit extra, tickets to masterclasses were available, such as Horizontal Cheddar tasting, teaching the secrets of judging a good Cheddar; Washed, Wild and Welsh, offering the best of Wales’ wares; and a cheesemaking demonstration by Delamere Dairies.
One highlight of the day included the public unveiling of the new cheese Little Wallop, fronted by Alex James, former bassist for indie band Blur and cheesemaking entrepreneur. The podcast of this debut will appear on the Guardian website on Wednesday. James told The Culinary Digest that his new cheese will go on sale soon in Harrods and Selfridges Food Hall and will likely retail for around ₤6 a package. Click here to view Little Wallop.
The cheesemakers, particularly proud of their produce, featured prominently. A distinct local feel was apparent: Bath Soft Cheese, run by simply Graham and his wife (no surnames required) distributed flyers of Graham with the true cheese producer, his cow Daisy, one of 160 on his farm of 300 acres. Chris makes the cheese, Matt wraps it and Alex spreads the news. Bath Soft Cheeses produces five creamy cheeses, including a blue and a brie variety.
Selected producers from the festival, most with details of local stockists (click on the links to go to their individual websites):
Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co. (Winner of best British raw milk cheese 2007)
Bath Soft Cheese
Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese
Godsells Cheese
Degustibus bread
Cley pickles (hand-prepared pickles, chutneys, mustards, jams jellies and markets). For more information, email Ann Westrop.
Showing posts with label regional British cheeses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label regional British cheeses. Show all posts
Sunday, 30 September 2007
British Cheese Festival attracts 460 varieties - and 12,000 people
Yesterday, Gloucesters both single and double, Leicesters red, Stiltons blue and Lancashires warning “not for the faint hearted” were assembled in Oxfordshire for all to sample at the Great British Cheese Festival.
From across the UK and Ireland, 12,000 people descended upon the county to taste the very best of British and Irish cheese. According to Juliet Harbutt, chairman of the festival, this number is growing every year.
The festival, situated on a field next to Millets Farm Centre, featured 460 different cheeses from four different sources – cow, sheep, goat, and more unusually, buffalo. These cheeses were displayed on 175 different stalls and were complimented by the best of English ciders, perries, beers and wines. Other vendors, selling chutneys, jams, sausages, breads, and curries, filled out the festival.
For ₤8.50 for an adult (concessions ₤6.50), entry to a virtually unlimited sampling of cheeses was gained. For a bit extra, tickets to masterclasses were available, such as Horizontal Cheddar tasting, teaching the secrets of judging a good Cheddar; Washed, Wild and Welsh, offering the best of Wales’ wares; and a cheesemaking demonstration by Delamere Dairies.
One highlight of the day included the public unveiling of the new cheese Little Wallop, fronted by Alex James, former bassist for indie band Blur and cheesemaking entrepreneur. The podcast of this debut will appear on the Guardian website on Wednesday. James told The Culinary Digest that his new cheese will go on sale soon in Harrods and Selfridges Food Hall and will likely retail for around ₤6 a package. Click here to view Little Wallop.
The cheesemakers, particularly proud of their produce, featured prominently. A distinct local feel was apparent: Bath Soft Cheese, run by simply Graham and his wife (no surnames required) distributed flyers of Graham with the true cheese producer, his cow Daisy, one of 160 on his farm of 300 acres. Chris makes the cheese, Matt wraps it and Alex spreads the news. Bath Soft Cheeses produces five creamy cheeses, including a blue and a brie variety.
Selected producers from the festival, most with details of local stockists (click on the links to go to their individual websites):
Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co. (Winner of best British raw milk cheese 2007)
Bath Soft Cheese
Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese
Godsells Cheese
Degustibus bread
Cley pickles (hand-prepared pickles, chutneys, mustards, jams jellies and markets). For more information, email Ann Westrop.
From across the UK and Ireland, 12,000 people descended upon the county to taste the very best of British and Irish cheese. According to Juliet Harbutt, chairman of the festival, this number is growing every year.
The festival, situated on a field next to Millets Farm Centre, featured 460 different cheeses from four different sources – cow, sheep, goat, and more unusually, buffalo. These cheeses were displayed on 175 different stalls and were complimented by the best of English ciders, perries, beers and wines. Other vendors, selling chutneys, jams, sausages, breads, and curries, filled out the festival.
For ₤8.50 for an adult (concessions ₤6.50), entry to a virtually unlimited sampling of cheeses was gained. For a bit extra, tickets to masterclasses were available, such as Horizontal Cheddar tasting, teaching the secrets of judging a good Cheddar; Washed, Wild and Welsh, offering the best of Wales’ wares; and a cheesemaking demonstration by Delamere Dairies.
One highlight of the day included the public unveiling of the new cheese Little Wallop, fronted by Alex James, former bassist for indie band Blur and cheesemaking entrepreneur. The podcast of this debut will appear on the Guardian website on Wednesday. James told The Culinary Digest that his new cheese will go on sale soon in Harrods and Selfridges Food Hall and will likely retail for around ₤6 a package. Click here to view Little Wallop.
The cheesemakers, particularly proud of their produce, featured prominently. A distinct local feel was apparent: Bath Soft Cheese, run by simply Graham and his wife (no surnames required) distributed flyers of Graham with the true cheese producer, his cow Daisy, one of 160 on his farm of 300 acres. Chris makes the cheese, Matt wraps it and Alex spreads the news. Bath Soft Cheeses produces five creamy cheeses, including a blue and a brie variety.
Selected producers from the festival, most with details of local stockists (click on the links to go to their individual websites):
Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co. (Winner of best British raw milk cheese 2007)
Bath Soft Cheese
Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese
Godsells Cheese
Degustibus bread
Cley pickles (hand-prepared pickles, chutneys, mustards, jams jellies and markets). For more information, email Ann Westrop.
Saturday, 22 September 2007
Prices, consumer interest in UK dairy rise
Dairy prices in the UK have risen in the past weeks on the back of a row over price fixing by the major supermarkets and dairy providers in 2002-2003.
The Office of Fair Trading has claimed that the retail prices of dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter were fixed, and includes Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Dairy Crest, Arla Foods and Robert Wiseman in its charge. These price fixes could have cost consumers more than a quarter of a million pounds over two years.
Prices have risen again this year, prompting supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s to post signs in its dairy section to assure consumers that the price hikes are not simply a result of profit-taking. Robert Wiseman Dairies has reportedly made a similar statement.
The price hike comes as news emerges that British consumers are opting for local cheeses such as Red Leicester, Cheshire and Lancashire in place of French Brie and Camenbert.
The amount spent on continental cheeses fell 7% between 2004-2006, according to market research firm Mintel, while purchases of regional British cheeses rose 16% over the same period. However, the overall amount of money spent on traditional Continental cheeses was ₤120m more.
Continental dairy products may suffer further, as France’s Milk Producers Association has announced that the prices paid to producers will rise by one-fifth in the last quarter of this year. These hikes are related to tensions in the European markets, owing to “a relative disaffection among milk producers in Europe following repeated decreased in prices,” says the association.
The association told Just-Food that a similar trend can be expected in the first half of 2008.
The Office of Fair Trading has claimed that the retail prices of dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter were fixed, and includes Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Dairy Crest, Arla Foods and Robert Wiseman in its charge. These price fixes could have cost consumers more than a quarter of a million pounds over two years.
Prices have risen again this year, prompting supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s to post signs in its dairy section to assure consumers that the price hikes are not simply a result of profit-taking. Robert Wiseman Dairies has reportedly made a similar statement.
The price hike comes as news emerges that British consumers are opting for local cheeses such as Red Leicester, Cheshire and Lancashire in place of French Brie and Camenbert.
The amount spent on continental cheeses fell 7% between 2004-2006, according to market research firm Mintel, while purchases of regional British cheeses rose 16% over the same period. However, the overall amount of money spent on traditional Continental cheeses was ₤120m more.
Continental dairy products may suffer further, as France’s Milk Producers Association has announced that the prices paid to producers will rise by one-fifth in the last quarter of this year. These hikes are related to tensions in the European markets, owing to “a relative disaffection among milk producers in Europe following repeated decreased in prices,” says the association.
The association told Just-Food that a similar trend can be expected in the first half of 2008.
Prices, consumer interest in UK dairy rise
Dairy prices in the UK have risen in the past weeks on the back of a row over price fixing by the major supermarkets and dairy providers in 2002-2003.
The Office of Fair Trading has claimed that the retail prices of dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter were fixed, and includes Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Dairy Crest, Arla Foods and Robert Wiseman in its charge. These price fixes could have cost consumers more than a quarter of a million pounds over two years.
Prices have risen again this year, prompting supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s to post signs in its dairy section to assure consumers that the price hikes are not simply a result of profit-taking. Robert Wiseman Dairies has reportedly made a similar statement.
The price hike comes as news emerges that British consumers are opting for local cheeses such as Red Leicester, Cheshire and Lancashire in place of French Brie and Camenbert.
The amount spent on continental cheeses fell 7% between 2004-2006, according to market research firm Mintel, while purchases of regional British cheeses rose 16% over the same period. However, the overall amount of money spent on traditional Continental cheeses was ₤120m more.
Continental dairy products may suffer further, as France’s Milk Producers Association has announced that the prices paid to producers will rise by one-fifth in the last quarter of this year. These hikes are related to tensions in the European markets, owing to “a relative disaffection among milk producers in Europe following repeated decreased in prices,” says the association.
The association told Just-Food that a similar trend can be expected in the first half of 2008.
The Office of Fair Trading has claimed that the retail prices of dairy products such as milk, cheese and butter were fixed, and includes Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Dairy Crest, Arla Foods and Robert Wiseman in its charge. These price fixes could have cost consumers more than a quarter of a million pounds over two years.
Prices have risen again this year, prompting supermarkets such as Sainsbury’s to post signs in its dairy section to assure consumers that the price hikes are not simply a result of profit-taking. Robert Wiseman Dairies has reportedly made a similar statement.
The price hike comes as news emerges that British consumers are opting for local cheeses such as Red Leicester, Cheshire and Lancashire in place of French Brie and Camenbert.
The amount spent on continental cheeses fell 7% between 2004-2006, according to market research firm Mintel, while purchases of regional British cheeses rose 16% over the same period. However, the overall amount of money spent on traditional Continental cheeses was ₤120m more.
Continental dairy products may suffer further, as France’s Milk Producers Association has announced that the prices paid to producers will rise by one-fifth in the last quarter of this year. These hikes are related to tensions in the European markets, owing to “a relative disaffection among milk producers in Europe following repeated decreased in prices,” says the association.
The association told Just-Food that a similar trend can be expected in the first half of 2008.
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