We Brits have been making cheddar for a long time but it was in the 1850s when certain key producers (notably Joseph Harding; founder of the ‘Harding Method) refined, and put to paper, techniques still used to make this famous Somerset cheese today. But it hasn’t always been as easy to get hold of. Much as our French cousins still do in parts of France today, British farmers used to have much smaller herds and also lower yielding breeds too. That said, Cheddars were huge! 45-50kg in weight so were hard to move, were made collectively… and the cheese was
Curating your heavenly cheeseboard.
It takes more than a few dry crackers from the back of the cupboard and a dollop of chutney to impress your guests. You’re aiming for domestic goddess (let’s not judge), not domestic science, remember! The key is to channel your inner artist and just let yourself go! In the beginning its important to consider the shape of your serving board (long and thin for a flight of cheeses or round for sharing) and of course the material. You can use slate, wood, glass; anything that will provide a suitable wipe-able surface. You’re trying to create drama, an interplay of
Let’s get the cheese in, it’s time to celebrate again!
Our Celebration Cheese Cakes have been a distant memory here at L’affinage HQ for the last eighteen months as couples were forced to put their plans on hold waiting to see what would happen as restrictions were gradually lifted. Now there is palpable feeling optimism in the air. Fresh, new and exciting plans are being made and people are consulting with us over their beautiful cheese ‘pieces’! We’ve already sent out a few, along with some lovely chunks of Colston Bassett Stilton and the gum tingling Keen’s Extra Mature Cheddar which found their way to a French wedding! With smaller
Recipe: Baked Vacherin
It may be grey and cold outside but nothing can chase those clouds away better than comforting Vacherin which is currently in season. If you’re a local you’ll simply spoon the cheese out and eat it at room temperature. We however, prefer to cook it in the oven which elevates this cheese to a whole new level. Ingredients: 1 x Vacherin Mont D’Or 500g 3 x Shallots or spring onions finely chopped 2 Cloves of garlic finely chopped 20g Butter 1 Sprig of rosemary finely chopped Dash of chardonnay Method: Warm your oven to 170 degrees In a pan soften
A dairy in the life of: Jonny Crickmore from Fen Farm Dairy
This week I was lucky enough to spend an hour or so talking with Jonny from Fen Farm Dairy. Regretfully not in person, having googled the fastest possible route it would still take me about 5 hours from the Shire to Bungay in Suffolk, pah! So, we scheduled a phone call with me sitting at the kitchen table and Jonny standing on a wall at his farm – apparently where the best mobile signal is! Where it all started: From a small boy Jonny dreamt of one job and one job only – to be a dairy farmer. Thankfully the
Jamie Montgomery – Producer Profile
Why did you become a Cheese maker? We became cheesemakers when my Grandfather (maternal) bought the estate in 1911. Cheese making was already happening here when he bought it, as it was on almost all farms in Somerset producing more than a households worth of milk. To say that we have simply carried on since then is too simple. All farmhouse cheddar production was banned during the Second World War so a decision had to be made to restart, in a new era when the milk could be sold easily. Luckily Grandfather enjoyed the challenges of making cheese. For you
Fromage vs Fridge
Are you ‘cheesed out’ after Christmas? Do you have a few odd bits of cheese left over and you are not sure what to do with them? Well, fear not for we have the perfect solution for you and your fridge! Personally I think cheese is one of the most adaptable and versatile ingredients to have to hand in any kitchen and everything tastes better when fromage is added. Here’s a few ideas to use up any odd leftover pieces hanging around and rustle up a tasty dinner to boot for pennies. How about stuffing leftover stilton into olives for
Pizza recipe
I like to think I’m a non judgemental sort of person, fairly relaxed in my outlook on life, although ask my children and they may offer a differing opinion especially when it comes to the state of their bedrooms. The thing is, if there really is one thing that will start to raise the hairs on the back of my neck it’s that question ‘Would you like pineapple on your pizza’? Of course you would be absolutely right, at that moment I should make a stand and make my thoughts known with a loud ‘harumph’ and with as much hurumphing in
