The Cheeseboard Magazine by The Cheeseboard Magazine

Issue 1 - Winter 13

Review of 2013’s cheese shows | Best festive chutneys Matching cheese and wine | Cheddar from the valleys The art of judging cheese | Global Cheese Awards

Guide to the perfect Christmas Cheeseboard

Wine expert Paul Howard introduces you to a blue cheese’s best friend, the fortified wine from Portugal

Return of the fondue The communal treat of melted cheese makes a comeback!

THE PERFECT S CHEESE STRAW

FOCUS ON SE SPANISH CHEE

AWARD WINNING

CHEESES

AL MURRAY’S TOP 5 CHEESES

Welcome to the first edition of

an insider’s look into the world of everything cheese and dairy The team behind the Cheeseboard Magazine have been involved in the “world of cheese” for a number of years in various capacities, from organising cheese shows and marketing products for some of the world’s best known cheese brands. It never fails to amaze us just how much there is to learn about cheese, from different flavours, production techniques, textures, regional produce to the wealth of recipes and uses - we thought it was time to share our knowledge, and so this magazine was born. A universal love of cheese from ourselves as well as the general public, made us decide now was the time to do it. Many people have offered advice and help and contributed to this first edition, so a big thanks to everyone, no matter how small a part they have played. Over the coming editions we plan to incorporate regular informative features such as meet the maker, seasonal cheese, regional cheese guides, international cheese spotlights, recipe’s, celebrity recommendations, competitions and reviews. You can be notified about FREE online future editions at www.cheeseboardmagazine.co.uk. You’ll also receive a monthly newsletter as well as recipes and special offer vouchers.

We are also launching our own Cheeseboard Club for real cheese connoisseurs, where readers can pay £9.99 a month to receive three specially selected cheese boxes through the year, each containing a over a kilo of top quality, seasonally selected cheese, as well as receiving regular free samples and offers. We’d love to hear your feedback on this edition and any ideas for future articles or features you may want to see. Or if you want to submit content yourself drop us an email at editorial@cheeseboardmagazine.co.uk Future editions are planned for Easter and late Summer, we hope you enjoy issue one.

Tim & Steve Tim Barber & Steve Moncrieff Joint Editors

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Contents 04 Here is just a selection of some of the interesting features you will find in this edition of the Cheeseboard Magazine. Enjoy...

The perfect Festive Cheeseboard

Guide to Chutney

The Perfect Festive Cheeseboard

Focus On: The Global Cheese Awards

Mexican Cheese? Gringa Dairy

Matching Cheese & Wine

Cheese Straws Al Murray’s Top 5 Cheeses

Spain’s Hidden Gems

Award Winning Keens Cheddar

Make the most of Christmas Leftovers

67 Claxstone Blue

Bread of Heaven: Welsh Rarebit Homage 2 Fromage: Cheese Club

The Return of the Fondue

Mouthwatering Mac & Cheese

16 41 Juliet Harbutt Masterclass

Quick & Easy French Recipes

53 Blue Monday

A Christmas without cheese would not be Christmas...

How to put together a memorable

Cheese sales rise dramatically Christmas as we stock up

to impress our guests over the festive season.

John Pearson has been one of the leading

figures in the cheese industry for longer than he likes to remember! Having worked as a cheese consultant, grader and buyer for leading retailers such as M&S, he is now a respected judge and speaker on all things â&#x20AC;&#x153;cheesyâ&#x20AC;? - we asked him for his thoughts on the perfect Christmas Cheeseboard.

Cheese sales rise dramatically at Christmas as we stock up on cheese to impress our guests with over the festive season. Every November our Managing Director of the Food Group would prowl in the corridors of Head Office seeking out some young technologist whom he may destroy! The business was obsessed with delivering a range of products for Christmas which customers would be proud to serve at their family and friends celebratory meals. In my case, he would continually need reassurance that the Stilton would be blue enough! Not being sufficiently prophetic I could only remind him that suppliers were working as hard as they could to deliver the quality appropriate for the King of British Cheeses. No easy task! This is without doubt the most difficult cheese to make consistently.

Stilton Always a good starting point for your festive cheeseboard. This English classic is best known for its characteristic strong smell and taste. Some people are put off by the blue veins but this just adds to the unique and complex flavours of the cheese. Choose a substantial wedge of Stilton, the blue marbling will act as a feature on which to build an impressive Christmas cheeseboard.

Cheddar As you can guess, Cheddar is the predominant cheese eaten in this country and together with the Stilton, will form the engine room of any cheese selection. Big is beautiful in the world of cheddar! Britian’s favourite cheddar is made in one of the largest cheddar factories in the world situated on a wind blown north Cornish coast. If you see the word “traditional” on a cheddar label it tells you quite a lot. Made in the round, this cheese wrapped in a muslin coat, is allowed to ripen slowly while it develops a distinctive flavour and texture. You may have been one of the 1.5 million viewers who watched a webcam focused on an individual cheese during its months of ripening some years ago. Traditional cheddar is made by a small number of producers on farms in the West Country.

Camembert A soft cheese such as a whole camembert (always 250g) always looks good. The style is up to you. If you prefer a mild version (and the majority of your guests will prefer this) look out for “mild” and “creamy” descriptions on the label. The alternative style has a savoury almost vegetably flavour with pungent aroma; these are described as “traditional” or “Camembert de Normandie” which is the original Apellation de Controlee product

always made with unpasteurised milk. If you are serving this latter cheese amongst family or friends it might be as well to check none of your guests are expecting! Either style should be “unctuous” in texture (an old English word still used by the French) which really means smooth and fully ripened with no inner chalky centre. For this cheese try and buy one which is towards the end of its use by date. And by the way... the white coat is perfectly edible!

Goats Cheese

I get frustrated when people tell me they don’t like goat’s cheese! There is no such thing. There are many cheese types made with goat’s milk so it just means you haven’t found a style to your liking. I recommend a soft goat’s cheese, possibly decorated in ash or chives. These come in small log shapes or pyramids. British production has grown in recent years with some excellent products. French alternatives are cheaper, however, because of the availability of goat’s milk.

Cheese and fruit To enhance the visual appeal of the board then offer a cheese combined with fruit portions. The most popular are White Stilton or Wensleydale with cranberries or apricots. I would avoid the savoury types in this context although they are great on their own as a snack. The combination of a sour crumbly cheese married with sweetness from the fruit will work really well.

Go for serious pieces of cheese, you dont need lots of little portions which can look visually confusing Choose between 4 and 6 cheeses depending upon the scale of your celebrations. If you want some advice about the order of tasting then go from mild to strong and leave the sweet one to the very end... And an instruction: serve the cheeseboard before the dessert, just do it! Most of the time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pleased to say that the Christmas Stilton did turn out to be blue although Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure that some of the other technologists in other areas of the Food Group got off so lightly!

Merry Christmas

John

Join the Cheeseboard Magazine’s

club ...the perfect treat for any cheese lover (or a great gift for friends or family) The Cheeseboard Cheese Club entitles you to 3 boxes containing at least 1kg of specially chosen, award winning, interesting seasonal cheeses, delivered direct to your door 3 times a year Christmas, Spring and the Summer. Plenty enough for a family to share or to impress guests at a dinner party! Each selection will have been expertly compiled to showcase a variety of textures, flavours and milk types from producers

All of this is included in your membership:

throughout the world. Each cheese box will contain fine cheese biscuits or crackers and educational tasting notes providing detail on provenance and suggested pairings for all the cheese. You will also have the opportunity to receive additional samples of cheese and offers from makers and distributers, take part in research panels as well as entering special Cheese related promotions and competitions to win holidays and gifts.

✓ 3 seasonal cheese selection boxes with over 1kg of specially selected cheese in eac

✓ Certificate of membership ✓ Copy of The Cheeseboard magazine ✓ Detailed tasting notes, cheese maker

h box

profiles and cheese pairings

✓ FREE Cheeseboard! ✓ Offers & vouchers Indulge yourself or treat someone...

All for just £9.99 a month

www.cheeseboardmagazine.co.uk/shop

The Cheeseboard magazine asks comedian Al Murray, The Pub Landlord, for his top 5 favourite cheeses and why… It’s of no surprise he plumps for some great British cheeses whilst expressing his amusing thoughts on foreign cheese!

THE PUB LANDLORD'S TOP FIVE CHEESES Number One: Cheddar Cheddar is the warhorse of English cheeses, it was there when the Ploughman’s was invented, and it will be there after the apocalypse, plastic wrapped somewhere, keep the last remnants of mankind going. Ideal for platters, salads, sandwiches, melted, cooking, sauces, cleaning. Number Two: Stilton Any self-respecting publican will buy this for his cheese platter in the pub. So why, you might ask, do I rarely get Stilton in my Ploughman's? The same reason: out of self-respect your publican has pinched it for his own lunch. Pearls before swine otherwise. Number Three: Double Gloucester Orange, but not fruit. What's not to like? Number Four: Sliced... Famously Paul Scholes said his favourite cheese was melted, but he hadn't thought where it came from: sliced cheese, of course. There are only so many hours in the day, and slicing cheese is time consuming. Actually it’s the best thing since sliced bread! Number Five: A big melted Camembert or Brie If ever you needed to remind yourself not to go France, a cheese that can't cope with room temperature should be warning enough.

Thanks Al

Celebrity Cheese Lovers

Top 5 Cheeses...

The art of mixing

PORT &

STILTON Stilton truckle standing beside a decanter of port with nuts and a roaring fire is perhaps the quintessential Christmas match, based on the affinity of salty and sweet flavours. Which port should you choose to accompany the King of English Cheeses? Port is usually a blend of grape varieties, of vineyards and of vintages. But the key to every port is that the maturation determines the style, of which there are many. In making port, fermentation is deliberately stopped early by adding alcohol from grape spirit. This fortification leaves the wine sweet and raises the alcohol to about 20%. A young port is born; fiery, tannic and completely undrinkable! It now needs to be tamed by aging.

FEATURE BY PAUL HOWARD

The choice of either glass bottles or old wooden casks will determine the future style and the price. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take a look at some of these and their suitability for different Stiltons.

Port & Stilton

Ruby Port accounts for the majority of production, young and still fiery, made for immediate drinking. These non-vintage blends are matured for two to three years. They are simple, cheap and will not improve further. A far superior version is Premium Ruby, where older wine is included for little more money. Ramos Pinto, Collector Reserve Ruby Port blends wines up to nine years old with the younger wine. With violet aromas, there’s a welcome complexity of plum, fig and cherry fruit on the palate. Very good with young blue Stilton.

Ramos Pinto, Collector Reserve Ruby Port £12.95 at

www.saxtyswines.co.uk

White Port follows a similar journey to Ruby except that white grapes are used instead. The best are aged in wood for deeper colour and nutty flavours. There is a range of sweetnesses, from off-dry (seco) to intensely sweet (lágrima). Krohn Porto Branco Seco has nutty, slightly oxidised aromas and honeyed soft creamy palate with dried white fruits which are balanced by racy acidity and a long, slightly salty finish. Try a white Stilton, including one made with apricots, lemon, ginger and mango.

Krohn Porto Branco Seco Port £11.95 at

Try g somthin nt differe

www.halifaxwinecompany.com

Aged Tawny offers a step-change in quality, a red wine that has been long aged in wooden casks. Over time these wines oxidise, exchanging their red colour for deepening shades of amber-brown. Expect nuts, dried fruits and citrus flavours with a satisfying smoothness. As they age (the allowed indicated ages are 10, 20, 30 and over 40 years) they get more delicate, rarer and ever more expensive. Warre’s Otima 10 year old Tawny is the right age for cheese. It is a light mahogany colour and smells and tastes of walnuts and dried figs, against a background of coffee and toffee. A silken style that’s great with creamy aged Blue Stilton.

Warre’s Otima 10 year old Tawny

£13.50

widely available, supermarkets

Vintage Port is the style that dominates the attention, always the flagship red wine. These can age for over a century and account for less than 1% of production. Only outstanding years are “declared” by the producer, perhaps three times per decade. Maturation is completely different, as it is bottled at just two years old and aged long and slowly. Rarely released before their tenth year, they are expensive and designed to go on maturing. These are fine wines to reward the patient and the wealthy. Dow’s Vintage Port, 1991 has an elegance, subtlety and consistency that is hard to beat. This is a massively structured blackish wine and this is only now beginning to drink well. The nose still has youthful violet perfume, with additional hints of cinnamon and roses. There’s masses of blackberry and damson fruit laced with pepper and spices, finally revealing a smoke and chocolate character in the glass. Try Stichelton, a Stilton-style blue cheese made with unpasteurised milk.

Elegant & u S btle

Dow’s Vintage Port, 1991

£64.99 at

www.harrogatefinewinecompany.com

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) is designed to convey some of the excellence of a Vintage Port without the wait and the expense. It’s a red wine made from the harvest of one year but bottled later, at age six rather than at two, making it ready to drink earlier. Niepoort, LBV 2008 was aged for four years in old oak casks, giving a “drink now” Port that has hints of the complexity of a Vintage Port. A brilliant ruby red, this has aromas of black fruits and chocolate. On the palate there is also an intriguing coal-dust minerality to the plummy fruit. Aged blue Stilton works well and so does white Stilton with cranberries or blueberries.

Niepoort, LBV 2008

£18.30 at

www.tanners-wines.co.uk

Single Quinta Vintage is a red Port made from one harvest from the shippers’ best estate. This offers an essence of Vintage Port and is more affordable. Taylor’s, Quinta de Vargellas 2001 is the classic. Scents of violets and cedar meld with a palate of plum and berry fruit. Charcoal, pepper and chocolate appear on the finish. Best with aged blue Stilton or Stichelton.

Taylor’s, Quinta de Vargellas 2001 £27.95 at

www.uncorked.co.uk

Fine and affordable

CHEESE STRAWS Making the perfect festive nibble

Also known as cheese twists

Cheese straws come into their own during the winter. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re great for canapĂŠs or snacking in front of the TV, snuggled up and watching a movie. They work really well as a snack at festive gatherings and kids love them, they are also great for dipping.

The Cheeseboard’s simple Cheese Straws It’s easy to make this naughty nibble, they can be ready in under 30 mins. Once made, you can store them in an air tight container and the cheese straws will stay fresh for two or three days. With our lack of willpower they tend to be all gone within the day! Here goes... Dice chilled butter into small squares Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl and mix in the diced butter with your finger tips until it has the texture of fine breadcrumbs

Ingredients 120g soft unsalted butter 350g grated Red Leicester 100g grated parmesan 250g plain flour 1 egg (beaten) 1 teaspoon of salt ¼ tsp smoked paprika

Stir in the cheeses, the smoked paprika and the beaten egg Mix with 3-4 tablespoons of water to make a firm dough then wrap in cling film and put in freezer for 5 minutes to chill Preheat oven to 190ºc/375ºF/gas mark 5 Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper Lightly flour a surface and roll the dough out into a square roughly the thickness of a pound coin Cut into strips approx 1 cm wide and twist each strip 3-4 times before transferring to the baking tray Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crisp and golden, then leave on the tray to cool before eating

Easy Goat’s Cheese Twists A great alternative to normal Cheese Straws with the subtle taste of goat’s cheese and herbs... Preheat the oven to 200ºc/390ºF/gas mark 6 and line two baking trays with baking parchment Roll out the chilled puff pastry until it’s about the size of a sheet of A4 paper. Scatter most of the Parmesan evenly over the pastry and then dot the goat’s cheese over it too. Sprinkle the oregano over the cheeses Fold the pastry in half length-ways and then roll it out again until it’s about as thick as a £1 coin. Cut the pastry into 1cm strips

Ingredients

Recipe by Jane Tingle www.homagefromage.co.uk

340g (12oz) pack of ready-made puff pastry 1 handful finely grated Parmesan cheese 40g (1½ oz) soft goat’s cheese ½ tsp dried oregano

Take a strip, twist it several times and put it on the baking parchment. Repeat until all the pastry strips are used up. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top of them Bake for 15-20 minutes until they’re crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and gently prise them off the paper to cool

A Real Cheese Masterclass From a real cheese hero

Juliet Harbutt

The Cheeseboard Magazine hopes to educate you about all things cheese, but, if you want to really get to know about the cheese then why not try a Cheese Masterclass from an expert. Juliet Harbutt is one of the best known faces from the World of cheese, organising the British Cheese Awards as well as being a judge and the author of numerous cheese books including the World Cheese Book. She runs a series of specially tailored tastings and events designed to inspire and educate food lovers, whether it’s for business or for pleasure. Whilst she runs training schedules for people who buy and sell cheese, working along with some of the UK’s major supermarket brands, she also runs a range of Cheese Masterclasses, which are fun, fascinating and informative. Whether for a charity fundraiser, special event or dinner party, Juliet can provide an insightful session to entertain your guests. She even runs Materclasses designed specifically for children!

Some of Julia’s most popular sessions include:

Judging a cheese by its cover Using the rind method, Juliet teaches guests how to reduce the vast array of cheeses into one of the 7 main types. By a glance of the rind and an occasional squeeze you will learn what texture and taste you can expect from the cheese and even its strength of flavour and maturity.

Unusual Bedfellows Join Juliet in this fascinating insight into unusual pairings and new drinks to enjoy with cheese from White Port or Noilly Prat to Dry Riesling and Viognier or traditional English tipples like Madeira, Sloe Gin and classic dry sherry from Spain. Mellow out over some wonderful combinations with Juliet who is wonderfully knowledgeable about all things cheesy.

Speed Dating Basically it involves tasting 6 cheeses and 6 very different drinks with each cheese to determine the perfect couple, the worst match and what does and doesn’t work. Juliet takes you on a fast, fascinating and above all fun journey which is a real test for the taste buds. All you need is an open mind and a willingness to experiment with new partners!

To find out more visit: www.thecheeseweb.com or email cheese@thecheeseweb.com or call 01608 659 325

Welsh food culture is evolving

BREAD OF HEAVEN Discovering a powerful taste of Wales The history of Wales is inextricably linked with food. The love affair may have been borne of necessity, but the seeds sown down the centuries have led to todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creation of internationally-recognised Welsh food brands such as Collierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Powerful Welsh Cheddar. Leigh Roberts traces the unique story of a very Welsh cheese.

A Welsh way of life From the ancient Celtic tribes who introduced agriculture to the untamed Welsh countryside, through the Middle Ages and Industrial Revolution, which changed the landscape of Wales forever, so the Welsh food culture has evolved. In Wales we have a particular knack for producing milk, and with it award-winning dairy products. Lush pastures, expert farming skills, and a passion for our produce have created the perfect formula. So it is not surprising that one of the constants of the Welsh way of life has been our love of making cheese. Our ancestors had a penchant for roasted, or toasted cheese known as ‘caws pobi’, which was the forerunner of the Welsh Rarebit. Today whether you are in Caernarfon or Canberra, Newport or New York, you’ll find a menu with a take on Welsh Rarebit. The Industrial Revolution brought dramatic change to a once predominantly rural existence with a dramatic boom in population, with and influx of people from across the world drawn to Wales for work. With the ever-increasing demand for fuel to keep the iron smelting furnaces

working, the South Wales coalfield came into its own. In the boom days of coal mining in the valleys of South Wales, colliers’ (coal miners’) wives invariably packed cheese sandwiches in their husbands’ and sons’ lunch tins. It was the perfect meal: the nutritional value, financial value (because there was no waste), ease of preparation and a strong characterful taste that would cut through the dust and grime in that dangerous working environment. And it was this memory that sparked the idea for one of Wales’ most iconic brands, Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar. Launched in 2002, it was the brainchild of Chris Swire, Marketing Director at Fayrefield Foods. “Both my grandfather and uncle were miners in the South Wales coal field and as a child, I remember my grandmother making sandwiches for the boys to take down the mine. I never forgot them or the taste of that cheese” Chris recalls. The idea for Collier’s was born. Instead of using bucolic Welsh landscape imagery, the brand was based instead on real people during Wales’ proud industrial period. The dramatic black packaging, featuring a miner’s face, gives it unique shelf appeal as it looks like no other cheese.

Its characteristics share those of the coal miner: power, integrity and reliability Times have continued to change and gone are the days when coal was king and many of the scars of heavy industry are all but gone. Wales is marking out a different path. The bourgeoning tourism industry has replaced those of coal and steel, and alongside it, the growing food tourism sector. But some things never change and Collier’s focus on taste and quality has never wavered. Collier’s is a uniquely ‘powerful’ cheddar with a long, deep character and savoury, yet slightly sweet taste. Unusually, it contains tantalising “crunchy bits” which are actually calcium lactate grains that develop during maturation and are evidence of the cheese’s high quality. The recipe is a closely guarded secret. It is matured for up to 18 months and is

regularly and carefully graded throughout its development, until it attains the unique taste and texture that defines Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar. Collier’s has won a cabinet full of awards including Best Welsh Cheese and Best Extra Mature Cheese at the Nantwich International Cheese Show. You see in Wales we are great believers that tasting is believing, and like an expertly matured cheddar, we’ve been nurturing that belief for long time!

Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar is available from all

major supermarkets £4 for 350g

www.collierscheese.com

Welsh Rarebit Who needs science, just some imagination!

Welsh rarebit has been a family favourite for a hearty, quick snack for generations. It’s mentioned in many an 18th Century cook book - as a “luscious supper or tavern dish”. Some say it relates to a jibe at the Welsh being unable to afford meat in the 17th century, and cheese being a poor man’s meat - but there are references from this time for English, Irish and Scottish Rarebit.

Earlier this year - The Royal Society of Chemistry, together with the British Cheese Board, announced the formula for making the perfect slice of cheese on toast. Following a series of scientific tests on the grilling conditions, performed by the Royal society's Science Executive, Ruth Neale and the Cheese Board, they concluded that the ultimate cheese on toast should be made using the following formula:

T = 115 C** d = 18cm t = 4mins O

[(50g x shC) + (10mm x wB)] *

Perfect cheese on toast

s - Sliced h - Hard C - Cheese w - White B - Bread T - Temp of grill T - Temperature of the grill d - Distance from the grill t - Time under the grill

For the less scientifically minded reader, they concluded the perfect welsh rabbit was grilled for 4 minutes with the toast 18 cm from the grill, well there you go! But whatever the science behind this or the history behind the name everyone has their own way of making Welsh rarebit, where with a bit of imagination a variety of

different rarebits or “posh” rarebits can be produced by adding simple ingredients. Colliers - makers of powerful, Welsh cheddar cheese, pride themselves on their cheese being the ideal cheese to make the perfect Welsh Rarebit. We asked them to help us trigger your Some of culinary imagination by giving e us some of their favourite our favorit s it Welsh Rarebit recipes. rareb

Quick, simple and so tasty!

Chilli Welsh Rarebit What youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need... 50g/2oz flour 50g/2oz butter 250ml/9oz real ale warmed 250g/9oz Colliers Powerful Welsh Cheddar 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp Double Dragon Welsh mustard Grated 2 tsp of finely chopped red chilli Fresh ground black pepper 4 large slices granary bread

In a small saucepan make a roux with the butter and flour Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring to prevent the roux from burning Stir in the warm beer by degrees, until thick and smooth Add the grated cheese and stir until melted a thick paste Mix in the mustard, chilli and Worcestershire sauce and season well with black pepper Lightly toast and butter the bread, then pile up the cheesy mixture on each slice Cook under a hot grill until browned and bubbling

Classic Colliers Welsh Rarebit What youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need... 3 egg yolks 50ml Welsh ale, such as Brains 1 tbsp mustard 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 200g Colliers cheddar 4 shallots finely diced 3 x traditional muffins, cut in half

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Toast the muffins on both sides. Spread a layer of the cheese mix on top, quite thickly. Grill until brown and bubbling.

Try using muffins instead of the usual bread for extra bite

Welsh Steak Rarebit What youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need... 2 Welsh 10 oz sirloin steaks 1 teaspoon of English mustard powder 250g Colliers cheddar, grated 250g Breadcrumbs For a medium sirloin steak, cook in a frying pan on a medium heat for four minutes each side. Place the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well, until everything is combined. Sprinkle over the steak and grill under a hot grill until melted and golden brown. You could also substitute half of the cheddar with blue cheese for a stronger flavour.

A Rarebit fit for a king!

1 tablespoon of chopped parsley 3 or 4 splashes of Worcestershire sauce Salt and pepper to taste 2 egg yolks to bind

Welsh Rarebit with bacon & laver bread What youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need... 50g/2oz flour 50g/2oz butter

A slightly different method, making a roux instead of the egg yolks. See which you prefer

2 slices of back bacon 2 tbsp of laverbread In a small saucepan make a roux with the butter and flour Stir in the warm beer by degrees, until you have a thick but smooth sauce, add the cheese and stir until melted. You should now have a thick paste. Mix in the laverbread, mustard and Worcestershire sauce and season well with black pepper. Butter the toast, layer on the cheesy mixture. Cook under a hot grill for a few minutes, until browned and bubbling, then top with grilled or fried bacon.

250ml/9oz Beer, warmed 250g/9oz Colliers Powerful Welsh Cheddar, grated 2 tsp Double Dragon Welsh mustard 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce Black pepper, freshly ground 4 large slices granary toast

Homage2Fromage was born out of a love for cheese and made possible by the brilliance of social media. It is a unique, urban cheese club that meets once a month to celebrate cheese of all kinds.

IS CHEESE THE NEW ROCK-N-ROLL? The combination of a simple formula, some quite strict rules and the passion of organisers Nick Copland and Vickie Rogerson has seen membership soar and monthly meetings now regularly top 90 guests. What is the attraction, and why do Nick and Vickie talk about cheese as the new rock and roll? Two years ago a lively debate on Twitter between cheese fans in Leeds led to a joke about 'starting a cheese club'. The name Homage2Fromage was coined, and it seemed so good, it would have been a crime to waste it. At a 'real world' meeting between Vickie Rogerson (food PR expert) and Nick Copland (food impresario and writer) they tried to figure out exactly what a cheese club might actually do! Then they simply decided to get some cheese (a range of cheddars as it happened) and hold a meeting. It was Vickie's brainwave to number the cheeses rather than tell the 15 paying guests which one was which. The resulting discussions, debates, and cheesy-chat

made the evening more about sharing and celebrating than sombre sampling and lecturing... Once people had a chance to taste everything, Nick and Vickie stood up and revealed what they had been eating. Through lucky chance, and rather good contacts, a certain Mr Alex James made an appearance as the first ever special guest on that first night too, and it looked like they had peaked too soon. But tickets for the following month sold out in no time, and the club has steadily grown to become thriving, crazy, cheesefuelled nights of fun and food. Themes have included regions such as Scottish, Yorkshire, Spanish and French, and types of cheese such as washed rind, goat's milk and 'weird and wonderful'. The cheese is displayed alongside bread, crackers, local chutney and other appropriate accompaniments. No-one is allowed to taste anything until everyone has arrived. Once people are in, Nick and Vickie call 'CHEESE' and something a bit like a small indoor stampede takes place as people help themselves.

Blurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alex James was our fist member

Vickie is clear about the appeal, 'People come to Homage2Fromage because they know it's going to be fun, there'll be plenty of cheese, and they will never be made to feel like they don't know enough about it to enjoy it.' Nick agrees, but he is convinced that the focus on cheese is important. 'To us, cheese is what it's all about, a simple, incredible, amazing food with more variety and intrigue than almost any other. If a standard cheese and wine tasting is opera, we are definitely rock and roll!' Homage2Fromage is always looking out for new cheese, and are keen to talk to cheese makers and importers featuring a new cheese at Homage2Fromage makes great PR and gets excellent feedback from genuine cheese fans. Homage2Fromage has grown to capacity in Leeds now, but it looks like Vickie and Nick will be spreading the love of cheese to other cities - there is talk of a new Homage2Fromage in Sheffield, and from then, perhaps further afield...

As Nick and Vickie never tire of reminding us, curd is the word

Homage2Fromage is held on the 2nd Thursday of every month in Leeds. To find out more visit:

www.clubhomage2fromage.co.uk or follow us on

twitter@homage2fromage

The perfect blend See the Cheeseboard website for this recipe: www.cheeseboardmagazine.co.uk

When you think of Boursin, you immediately think of the original and well known luxury soft cheese with garlic & herbs. But, Boursin offers a range of exciting flavou rs for cheeselovers to discoverâ&#x20AC;Ś

Sun-dried tomato, onion and chive Combining creamy soft cheese with mouthwatering sun ripened tomatoes, aromatic onions and chives to create a rich flavour. Simply spread over warm French bread for a delicious snack or crumble into a crisp baby leaf salad to give it a special, tasty twist.

Fig and Nut Deliciously different, this limited edition seasonal variety of Boursin is a luscious blend of sweet succulent figs and crunchy mixed nuts. Spread on ciabatta, drizzled with olive oil and topped with prosciutto, it creates the perfect fig and ham bruschetta.

Black Pepper Blended with lightly cracked black peppercorns it provides a lively kick, which is perfectly balanced by the creaminess of the cheese. Try it on a simple cracker to experience the intense flavour developing bite after bite!

Boursin Original Garlic and Herbs The original Boursin, creamy, crumbly cheese with garlic and herbs. It remains Boursin’s most popular flavour. The intense garlic taste is complimented with selected fine herbs.

The Boursin Story... The Boursin story begins in north west France back in 1957, when Normandy based cheesemaker Francois Boursin started producing soft cheese. What turned out to be a fortuitous piece of luck lead to one of the best, loved cheese brands, when a misreported newspaper article claimed Francois was to produced a soft cheese with garlic.

In fact he wasn’t at the time - but after all the free publicity Francois perfected the blending of garlic with fresh cream and soft cheese, seasonsed with fresh herbs and took the cheese to market. It quickly became a household favourite across France, making history by becoming the first cheese featured in a TV advertisement. Over 50 years later, the original recipe remains unchanged and Boursin’s popularity continues to grow.

A perfect Autumn Cheeseboard See the Cheeseboard website for this recipe: www.cheeseboardmagazine.co.uk

Like many fashions fondue is about to make a return. Normally associated with the 1970s and the dinner party circuit, fondue has suddenly become cool again with sales of fondue sets booming. This Swiss dish where people dunk bread into a communal pot of melted cheese is now no longer associated with Demis Roussos, lava lamps and flares - but is back in vogue as a great dish for sharing. Its current renaissance, probably owing something to the popular TV show Come Dine with Me.

All you need is a communal pot, portable stove and some long stemmed forks for dipping bread into a well of sumptuous melted cheese.

1870s NOT 1970s A BRIEF HISTORY... The first known recipe for the modern cheese fondue was published in 1875 and is now seen as the Swiss national dish. Despite its modern association with rustic mountain life, it was a town-dweller’s dish from the lowlands of Switzerland as rich cheeses such as Le Gruyere were used. Its popularity grew in the 1930s with the Swiss Cheese Union promoting the fondue as a way of increasing cheese consumption and is now seen as a symbol of Swiss unity. Throughout the decades the Swiss have heavily promoted fondue as the “dish that creates a good mood” due to its ability to bring friends and family together through sharing. Over the years Fondue has evolved into other areas such as chocolate and oil.

The Original

Swiss Fondue Emmi’s fondue is still made to the original Swiss recipe from 1958, consisting of cheese, kirsch and spices. These ready-made fondue packs come in sachet or tub form for easy storage and ease of use. This is such a quick dish to make if you are in a rush or have unexpected guests. All you have to do is heat the contents until bubbly and serve with chunks of bread or vegetables. The authentic taste of Emmi and the ready to use packs makes it the perfect dish to share with family and friends. It also works as a great ingredient for quick lasagne or cauliflower cheese!

FONDUE FAUX PAS There are certain traditions and etiquette to consider when sharing a fondue. Firstly, there is the issue of “double dipping” which is a big no no. Etiquette states that each morsel should be put in the pot once and the dipping fork be used only to transport the food from pot to plate. Secondly, and a less well known fact is that if a man loses his bread in the pot, he buys drinks for the whole table and if a woman does, she must kiss her neighbours!

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/emmiswissfondue @emmiswissfondue

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Ask most people to imagine a dairy and they’ll probably conjure up a farm building surrounded by rolling green pastures. But one of the UK’s newest cheese-makers is situated in an area that looks more Albert Square than Ambridge. To many people, Peckham in South London means ‘Only Fools and Horses’ or teenage gangs but it also has a burgeoning food scene and the latest addition is Gringa Dairy.

MEX IN THE

CITY GRINGA DAIRY

If you see Kristen busying herself around the cheese-making room, stirring a vat of milk and peering at instruments that register temperature, acidity and weight, she looks like an old-hand. But, in fact, Gringa Dairy’s only been in operation since early 2013 and a couple of years ago you’d have been more likely to catch Kristen Powerpointing than pasteurising. It was a love of food, part inspired by her father who worked in gourmet food, plus an adolescence spent amongst California’s Mexican community that caused her to make a move that many only dream of - quitting her high-flying corporate job to make cheese. Ask her why Mexican cheese and her reply is that ‘No-one needs another Cheddar’ and it was Kristen’s business acumen that spotted a gap in the British market. Mexican food is big business now but whilst authentic ingredients like spices and cereals can be imported with ease, a product like cheese is more difficult. Mexico exports only 3% of its cheese and the vast majority goes to the United States. In addition, importing such a cold chain product is expensive and bound up in red tape. Chefs in the UK were using substitutes like Feta but finding them a poor substitute for the real thing.

Tucked away under a railway arch, Gringa Dairy was founded by American, Kristen Schnepp, and currently makes Queso Fresco. A Mexican cheese, it’s eaten young and tastes creamy and a little salty with a texture somewhere between feta and halloumi, part crumbly, part springy.

Article by Jill Tingle www.homagefromage.co.uk @fromhomage Mexico ranks tenth in the world for cheese production. Cheese is used to cook with, serving as a foil against spicier dishes, as well as eaten on its own or sliced for tortas (sandwiches). Cows, goats and cheese-making techniques were introduced by the Spanish but the indigenous population soon developed their own way of doing things. A particular challenge for Kristen has been how to reproduce an authentic taste. Apart from UK environmental health regulations that prevent some traditional practices, the cows also eat differently, which influences the taste of their milk. Mexican cows are fed a predominantly dry and corn-fed diet whilst British herds eat wetter grass and winter silage. Blending modern and traditional techniques and reconciling the difference in the raw ingredients has taken months of determination, patience and hard work.

WHAT IS QUESO FRESCO? A soft, fresh cheese that is delicious to crumble over tostadas or salads as well as slice for tortas (sandwiches). A lot like feta, but less salty.

And cheese-making’s all about hard work. Twice a week (soon to be three times) Kristen gets up at 4am and drives down to Kent to collect still-warm milk from Commonwork Organic Farm. Following the early start, there’s a relentless day of pasteurisation, adding starters and rennet, cutting the curds, milling, salting, moulding and cleaning up. Only by the evening is the Queso Fresco ready. But Kristen’s serious about her venture and this is all just part of it, a marrying of science and craft, modern red tape and ancient techniques.

She’s working on two other cheeses, Chihuahua, a melting cheese thought to have been introduced to Mexico by the Mennonites. And Oaxaca, a string cheese much like mozzarella. Above all, she has a passion to create an authentic product. “The best compliment,” she says, “is when Mexican expats like my cheese and say - send my congratulations to your Mexican cheese-maker”.

Zucchini & Cheese Bake Ingredients 2 medium-sized zucchini (courgettes), cut into slices 1 medium-sized yellow squash, cut into thin slices I handful of chopped fresh basil 1 thinly sliced large onion 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 2 cloves of finely sliced garlic Â˝ Cup of ripped mozzarella Â˝ Cup coarsely grated Salt and ground black pepper Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Cut the zucchini (courgettes) into slices along with the peeled squash. Grease an oven proof baking dish with olive oil. Finely chop the basil & onion. Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced onions, dried thyme, garlic, and two thirds of both types of cheese. Stir these together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed. Season well. Top the mixture with the sliced zuccini. Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes. Take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Bake for a further 10-15 mins, or until the cheese is nicely browned. Garnish with chives and a sprig of thyme and serve immediately with crusty bread.

Precision is everything The choice of the cheese connoisseur

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Cheshire Cheese & Marmalade Bread Tarts

Easy to make with children no-one ever guesses that the crispy pastry is made from bread slices!

Ingredients 12 slices of bread 3½ tbsp melted butter 2 tbsp marmalade 1 beaten egg 40g (1½ oz) Cheshire cheese, grated 4 tbsp crème fraîche Salt and pepper Leaves from a few sprigs of thyme Makes 12 tarts

Pre-heat the oven to 200˚c/Gas Mark 6. Cut the crusts off the bread and flatten with a rolling pin. Cut into rounds and brush the circles of bread on both sides with the melted butter. Press hard into a muffin tray so that the bread is flattened into each hole. Bake for 10 mins, until turning golden and hard. Smear the inside of the bread pastry cases with marmalade. Mix the egg, cheese, crème fraîche and thyme leaves together and spoon into the cases. Do not overfill. Bake for a further 15 minutes until the filling has set. Delicious warm or cold.

Montgomery’s Cheddar & Salmon Fishcakes Delicious fishcakes with the tang of a good, mature Cheddar

Pre-heat the oven to 200˚c/Gas Mark 6. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the salmon, mashed potato, cooked onion, cheese, Worcestershire sauce and parsley, seasoning well with salt and pepper. When thoroughly combined, form into six fishcakes with your hands and place on a plate. Take each fishcake and dip it first into the beaten egg, to coat, and then into the breadcrumbs, to cover the fishcake. Place on a lightly greased baking tray and cook for 20-25 minutes. Alternatively, you can shallow fry the fishcakes in a little oil for about 5-6 minutes each side, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Ingredients 2 cooked salmon fillets or 1 tin of salmon 1 large baking potato, cooked and mashed 1 red onion, finely chopped and fried until soft 100g (4oz) Montgomery’s Cheddar cheese, grated A dash of Worcestershire sauce 1 small handful of parsley, finely chopped 1 egg, beaten 90g (3oz) coarse breadcrumbs Salt and pepper Makes 6 medium fishcakes

Recipies supplied by Jane TIngle @homageframage

HAUTE SAVOIE REGION OF THE FRENCH ALPS, THE HOME OF ENTREMONT

Entremont A TASTE OF EXCELLENCE

French cheese maker Entremont originates from the Haute Savoie region in the French Alps, where three brothers (Franรงois, Marius & Edouard Entremont) matured their first cheese wheel in 1948. Since that day, Entremont continues to produce high quality French cheese.

Entremont products are often described as "autrement bon" or differently good in French! So let’s focus on how one of Entremont’s most popular cheeses, Emmental, defines the “excellence of French cheese” and just why it is so "autrement bon".

A traditional cheese-making knowledge giving an unrivalled taste Emmental benefits from the experience of over sixty years cheese making knowledge and to this day is produced according to traditional cheese-making know-how, including maturation in cellars for a minimum of 7 weeks, where a hard crust develops, as well as its famous holes! Emmental wheels are made by cheese makers using French cow’s milk and matured on wood planks. They are regularly monitored and turned to reach an optimal quality,

guaranteeing the consumer a high level of quality and a discerning taste. These traditional production processes give Emmental Entremont a firm but smooth texture, with a fine and fruity aroma. In addition to this gorgeous distinctive taste, Entremont Emmental also has a range of health benefits. It is naturally rich in protein and calcium with a 30g portion of Entremont Emmental providing on average 37.5% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).

A flexible cheese for Christmas! There are many ways to enjoy Emmental, on a cheese board of course, but also sliced in a sandwich or served grated over your favourite pasta or soup dishes. With Christmas being just around the corner, Emmental is a great flexible cheese, which can be used in canapes and cocktails for those festive parties and gatherings or to add flavor to a classic winter warmer.

EMMENTAL IS A TRULY VERSATILE CHEESE, ONE OF THE VERY BEST FOR MELTING, BAKING & COOKING

Turn the page You’ll find a couple of new recipes for delicious dishes, which are brought to life using the classic taste of Emmental.

Sweet potato & ham mini gratins

Hot or cold, this is great party food!

Photography by Hélène Bouroullec

The perfect winter warming treat!

Courgette & Emmental muffins

Ingredients 500g of sweet potatoes 30ml of crème fraiche 30ml of semi skimmed milk 4 slices of quality ham 1 egg 75g of grated Entremont Emmental 1 clove of garlic Half a teaspoon of nutmeg Pinch of salt and pepper

1) Pre-heat the oven to 210ºC and get ready 4 mini ramekins or small oven proof pots. 2) Peal the sweet potato and cut into thin slices approx 1/2cm in thickness and then cut the ham into thin slices.

Ingredients 200 g of plain flour 2 tbsp of baking powder 2 eggs 150g of ricotta 2 tbsp of olive oil 2 tbsp of milk 100g of grated Entremont Emmental 1 small courgette (300g) Small portion of finely chopped chives

1) Wash the courgette, remove the ends and coarsely grate it. 2) In a big mixing bowl, add the flour and the baking powder then form a well in the middle of the mixture. 3) Whisk the eggs with the ricotta, olive oil and milk adding a pinch of salt & pepper.

3) Layer the sweet potato and ham into the ramekins until they are full, ensuring the final top layer is of sweet potato.

4) Pour the liquid ingredients at the center of the well, blending them gradually into the flour.

4) Add the crème fraiche, milk, egg, garlic, pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk carefully.

5) Add the grated courgette, finely chopped chives and the grated Entremont Emmental.

5) Cover the sweet potatoes and ham with the whisked mixture.

Find out more about Entremont

6) Cover with a generous helping of grated Emmental. 7) Cook for 45 minutes until the mini gratins have risen and the tops are golden.

www.entremont.co.uk

6) Mix into a smooth batter. 7) Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. 8) Fill bun cases or silicon molds 2/3 full with the batter. 9) Cook for about 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown.

Mini Quiche Lorraines See the Cheeseboard website for this recipe: www.cheeseboardmagazine.co.uk

Choose to indulge in party food and make the most of the Christmas leftovers by trying one of these delicious recipes from Pilgrims Choice. These recipes are easy to throw together and ensure you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t waste a morsel this year!

Make the most of

Christmas leftovers Ingredients The Pastry: 400g (14oz) plain flour Pinch of salt 200g (7oz) chilled butter, cut into pieces 100g (4oz) Pilgrims Choice Extra Mature cheddar, finely grated Chilled water The Filling: 350g (12oz) butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, cut into small chunks 1 courgette, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 100g (4oz) mushrooms, thinly sliced 300g (10oz) jar of roasted red peppers, drained and torn 100g (4oz) pre-packed chestnuts, chopped 75g (3oz) Pilgrims Choice Extra Mature cheddar, grated 1 tbsp fresh thyme 1 egg, beaten 1-2 tsp sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Pilgrims Choice Festive Cheddar, Vegetable & Chestnut Plait To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and add the butter. Rub in using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the grated cheese, then add 7-8 tbsp of chilled water and stir the mixture with a round-bladed knife so that it comes together to form a soft (but not sticky) dough. Knead lightly for a few moments until smooth, then wrap and chill for 10-15 minutes. Simmer the butternut squash in lightly salted boiling water until tender-about 10mins. Add the courgette to the sauce pan for the final 2-3mins of cooking time. Drain well. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion and mushrooms until very soft. Remove and set aside to cool.

Serves: 4-6 Prep: 15 mins Cook: 45 mins Preheat oven: 180oc

Mix together the squash, courgettes, peppers and chestnuts and season. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle and trim the edges neatly to a square measuring 30 x 30cm (12 x12 inches). Spread the mushroom mixture down the centre third of the pastry and pile the vegetable mixture on top. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and herbs. Slash the pastry on each side of the mixture at 2cm (他 inch) intervals, brush with beaten egg, then fold the strips over the filling to overlap like a plait. Lift the plait onto a lightly greased baking sheet and brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Transfer to the centre of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot or cold.

Enjoy this filling vegetarian feast

A great way to use up

leftover potato & cooked vegetables Ingredients

Bubble and Squeak with Cheddar Melt Served with Gammon Ham

2 large onions 50g butter 900g potatoes, peeled, boiled and coarsely mashed 450g green cabbage, shredded and steam cooked Salt and ground black pepper 50g vegetable oil 150g Pilgrims Choice Mature cheddar, grated 6 slices of gammon ham (360g)

Fry the sliced onions in half the butter until softened. Mix in the potatoes and green cabbage. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves: 6 Prep: 10 mins Cook: 50 mins

Preheat a frying pan and add the remaining butter and oil. Fry the potato mix and keep turning as it becomes crispy on the base. When thoroughly hot, turn off the heat and sprinkle over the cheese. Allow to melt with the heat from the potato mix. Spoon onto plates and serve with slices of cold gammon ham.

Sun-dried Tomato & Cheddar Loaf See the Cheeseboard website for this recipe: www.cheeseboardmagazine.co.uk

Quick & Easy

Just because you are in a rush, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean you have to compromise on flavour. There are lots of mouth watering quick meals, which can be prepared quickly using delicious French cheeses. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll now look at some of these tempting treats and highlight the best cheeses behind them.

Saint Agur An irresistible blue cheese from the Auvergne region of Central France. The region is renowned for its centuries old tradition of making blue cheese. Saint Agur adds a touch of sophistication to a cheeseboard providing a strong, rich blue taste with a smooth creamy flavour. Saint Agur is available in a range of products including traditional wedges, a milder spreadable Delice version for bread and crackers and a Creme version for added convenience when you need to prepare a quick dish. The Crème de Saint Agur has all the taste of St Agur, but in a practical, ready to use tub. Just put the pot in the microwave for a couple of minutes and it makes an instant hot sauce for pasta.

Penne Pasta with Wilted Baby Spinach and Crème de Saint Agur

Penne Pasta with Wilted Baby Spinach and Crème de Saint Agur Preparation Time: 10 minutes Serves: 4 Time: 15-20 minutes Ingredients 350g Penne pasta 150g Cherry tomatoes 250g Baby spinach leaves, washed 150g Crème de Saint Agur Ground black pepper

Method Heat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Cook the penne in boiling water for 10-12 minutes until ‘al dente’. Halve the cherry tomatoes, place in a baking tray and bake for 3-4 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the pan the with tomatoes, spinach and Crème de Saint Agur cheese. Cook and stir gently over a very low heat for 1 minute. Season with cracked black pepper when ready to serve.

This can be served hot, or cold as deleicious salad

Coeur de Lion Cœur de Lion is a whole hearted range of creamy cheese, reflecting the heritage of French cheeses. The range includes a well-balanced camembert, a distinctive Le Pie d’Angloys, a mild creamy brie, a soft, fresh goats’ cheese Chavroux as well as a stunning La Buche goats’ cheese with a soft creamy heart and a well rounded taste. The La Buche is produced in Western France and isn’t as sharp as many goats’cheeses, making it ideal for cooking with. A goats chees frittata using La Buche makes a great, quick, tasty tea.

Courgette and Cœur de Lion La Buche Goats' Cheese Frittata Preparation Time: 20 minutes Serves: 2 Time: 15 minutes Ingredients

Courgette and Cœur de Lion La Buche Goats' Cheese Frittata

2 medium courgettes 1 red onion 60g Cœur de Lion La Buche goats' cheese Handful of fresh basil leaves shredded 6 eggs Olive oil Salt and pepper

Method Slice the courgettes and onion, add to a small non-stick frying pan with olive oil. Fry over a medium heat for 10 mins until brown and softened. Whisk the eggs, add basil and half of the Cœur de Lion Cheese, roughly chopped. Season to taste. Add the mixture to the frying pan with the courgettes and onions. Stir the mixture around until set on the bottom, top with slices of the remaining Cœur de Lion Cheese and place under a hot grill. Grill until puffed and golden. Slice and serve with salad.

Le Rustique Le Rustique Brie and Camembert are inspired by artisanal techniques from master cheesemakers, exuding authenticity right down to the wood and gingham packaging. The Le Rustique Brie de Caractere, is a beautiful cheese, which becomes more full bodied as it matures, with its texture becoming even more distinct. The Le Rustique Camambert with its strong taste is a favourite amongst many cheese connoisseurs. The camembert, simply baked and served with crusty bread is the ultimate quick and easy, French snack.

Baked Le Rustique Camembert

Baked Le Rustique Camembert Preparation Time: 20 minutes Serves: 2-6 Time: 20 minutes Ingredients 1 Le Rustique Camembert 1 tbsp olive oil 1 Clove of garlic, crushed 1 sprig fresh thyme Salt and pepper

Method Preheat the oven to 200째C/gas Mark 6. Remove the Le Rustique Camembert from its box, take out the gingham paper, before placing the Le Rustique Camembert back in its box and slice open the top rind by making a cross slit on the top. Sprinkle the crushed garlic and fresh thyme on to the Le Rustique Camembert. Drizzle with olive oil and season well. Bake the Le Rustique Camembert in the oven without the box lid for 15 minutes. Serve hot and try dipping in crusty garlic bread.

Caprice des Dieux A smooth, soft cheese with a heavenly flavour, Caprice des Dieux comes packaged in a distinctive oval shaped box. It has a smoother, creamier flavour than most soft ripened cheeses, with a velvety rind and soft powdery heart - it really is an indulgent treat. Combining Caprice des Dieux with simple ingredients can turn it into a quick, mouth watering feast.

Blushing Beetroot Carpaccio with Caprice des Dieux

Blushing beetroot Carpaccio with Caprice des Dieux Preparation Time: 10 minutes Serves: 4 Time: 1 minute Ingredients 1 Caprice des Dieux 2 cooked beetroots 2 tsp balsamic vinegar 5 tsp olive oil 100g rocket 40g pistachios Salt and pepper

Method Slice the ends off of the beetroots before slicing them finely. Overlap the beetroot decoratively on 4 large plates. Mix together the balsamic vinegar and oil in a bowl, season to taste. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the Carpaccio, cover the plates in film and leave them in the fridge for 30 mins.

For more great reciepes and information about these authentic continental cheeses visit us at

www.dreamcheese.co.uk

Just before serving, finely slice the Caprice des Dieux. Wash the rocket and set aside to drain. Lightly crush the pistachios and place them under the grill for a minute. Sprinkle the pistachios over the beetroot. Arrange the Caprice des Dieux on top, place the rocket in the center of the plate, and pepper lightly.

BLUE MONDAY tribute cheese

The record from 1983 is the biggest selling 12 inch in history and, on a design point of view, one of the most sought after objects in the field.

Alex James, bass player of rock band Blur

and now celebrity cheesemaker, has re-launched his cheese called Blue Monday. The cheese was originally produced as a tribute to his favourite New Order song - the classic 12” from 1983 (which was remixed and charted again in 1988 and 1995). At 7 and a half minutes it is one of the longest songs to ever have charted. Blue Monday was created a few years back in partnership with cheese expert Juliet Harbutt and made near Inverness; however, it is now produced by Shepherds Purse near Thirsk in North Yorkshire after receiving a major makeover in the last 6 months. It is now even more of a soft, creamy blue cheese. Caroline Bell, who is one of Shepherds Purse’s directors, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Alex developing the Blue Monday recipe and we believe that we have created another world-class blue cheese.”

Blue Monday is traditionally handmade using 100% cow’s milk. Unusually, Blue Monday is produced in 650g squares and has a steely, yet sweet flavour which is milder than most blue cheeses. With its purple-blue streaks and creamy texture the cheese makes a fitting tribute to one of the greatest songs of an era.

Focus on the Global Cheese Awards The UK is host to a number of cheese awards throughout the year, one of the most recent being The Global Cheese Awards in Frome. The show itself forms part of the Frome Agricultural Show and was established in 1861, making it one of the oldest cheese shows in Britain. 2011 saw the show expanded to enable international entries into the awards - and the Global Cheese Awards were born. The show now judges across over 170 classes including speciality and artisan cheeses, as well as some more mass produced cheese categories. Classes include Best European, Best West Country Cheese, Best Overseas and Best Regional Classes along with many more. Winners get to put the prestigious Global Cheese Awards logo on their products giving added credibility, so the consumer knows the cheese has been recognized by industry experts.

“The entries this year were outstanding and the judging of some categories really challenged our judges. Once again we were proud to be a truly international show, welcoming entries from around the globe as well as celebrating local produce. It’s been a vintage year for the Global Cheese awards.” Nigel Pooley Chairman , Global Cheese Awards

2013 saw the show go from strength to strength and the quality of the entries were outstanding. Over 1200 entries were received from across the globe and over 60 judges had the unenviable task of tasting and grading the cheeses across each category.

“Quickes value the Global Cheese Awards as the premier show for cheddar. It’s great to have our cheese judged by some of the most knowledgeable judges of cheddar around. It’s also good to see how cheddars stack up against other cheeses from around the world as the show develops a wider reach. Winning at Frome matters to our customers and is great for us” Mary Quicke Owner, Quickes Traditional Cheese

Judges included Cheese experts such as Julia Harbutt and John Pearson, as well as celebrity cheesemakers such as Sean Wilson. Even though the weather was not ideal the show still saw 20,000 people come through the doors. The Cheeseboard Magazine was launched to the trade on the Show’s Trade Day as part of the Show’s 20-20 Vision session to much positive support and we hope to keep you up to date with news and goings on for next years show.

Even a poor forcast didn’t stop 20,000 people coming through the GCA doors

Key 2013 Winners Global Champion Cheese Glengarry Cheesemaking Inc - Lankaaster Loaf UK Supreme Champion Cheese & Best Regional Cheese - Keen’s Cheddar - Keens Raw Milk Cheddar Best Farmhouse Cheddar Block Cricketer Farm - Traditional Cheddar Best UK Creamery Cheddar Arla Foods - Taw Valley Creamery Best Territorial Wensleydale Creamery Best Speciality Cheese Lubborn Cheese - Somerset Brie Best Blue Cheese Arla Foods Tuxford & Tebbutt - Shropshire Blue Best Italian Hard Cheese Bradburys - Parmigiano Reggiano Best European Cheese Vandersterre Group - B.V. Prima Donna Maturo

Interested in cheese? Then why not put next year’s show in your diary. The show will take place on Saturday 12th September 2014 For more information visit

www.globalcheeseawards.com You can also follow The Global Cheese Awards on twitter @gcheeseawards

Keen s win Supreme UK Champion Friday 13th September saw the judging of the Global Cheese Awards in Frome; however, it was not to be an unlucky day for one small family of cheese makers based near Wincanton. The Keen family, from Moorhayes farm, won nine awards for their Traditional Unpasteurised Cheddar, including the coveted UK Supreme Champion Cheese and Best Regional Cheese in show. “We really are chuffed about winning so many awards on Friday” said Diane Keen, “We are only a small family of cheese makers with a limited budget with which to enter shows, this means that to stand up so well against many international entrants and major cheese manufacturers just speaks volumes about the quality of our cheese”. The Keen family only make one variety of cheese, a Traditional Unpasteurised Cheddar, the cheese is made by hand using traditional methods in the onsite dairy using milk produced by their own herd, they then mature the cheese for a minimum of twelve months in their own cheese stores.

It is the real cheddar cheese that your grandmother would have tasted. Sticking with tradition and refusing to sacrifice quality is what served the Keen family so well at the Global Cheese Awards last week.

Get involved in the 2014 Awards, visit the website for tickets & info.

Chutney (also translated as chatney and chatni) originated in Southern India as a way of preserving fruits and vegetables with a range of spices. Some simple spiced chutneys have even been dated back as far as 500 BC! Nowadays, the range of chutneys available is almost limitless and the market for Chutneys and relishes in the UK is reported to be valued at around ÂŁ150 million pounds a year.

Doherty’s

Apple, Date & Walnut Chutney A great winter chutney, made from locally grown apples. This is a great old classic chutney and will compliment any cheese, crackers and cold meats over Christmas. www.dohertychutney.co.uk

HERE’S SOME MORE GREAT CHUTNEYS

£3.50 Cottage Delight

Cheese board Chutney Using apples, raisins and walnuts, lightly spiced with ground and stem ginger. Cheese Board Chutney is a luxury accompaniment to any cheese board with a chunky texture and rich flavour to compliment both soft and hard cheeses. www.cottagedelight.co.uk

£3.15

Bettys

Caramelised Onion Chutney A delicious accompaniment. This recipe mixes Yorkshire sourced onions with dates and spices to produce a classic taste which works well with hard cheese such as cheddar. www.bettys.co.uk

£3.65

THE CHEESE BOARD REVIEWS SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE CHUTNEYS

With Christmas fast approaching - chutney sales traditionally rise for this versatile accompaniment which not only can bring to life a festive cheeseboard, but also works perfectly with that leftover turkey and ham.

Mercers of Yorkshire

Real Ale Chutney This Yorkshire favourite is nowt but delicious with a pie or a Ploughman’s. Cooks might like to mix it into stuffings for meat and poultry, but it’s simply the best in a cheese doorstep. www.mercersofyorkshire.co.uk

£2.25 Ouse Valley

Apricot & Ginger Chutney Packed full of apricots and warm, fragrant fresh ginger, this deeply flavoured chutney is wonderfully complimentary with salty crumbled cheeses such as Wensleydale or white Stilton. www.ousevalleyfoods.com

£3.85

Hawkshead Relish Co

Green Tomato Chutney This Green Tomato Chutney evokes long forgotten memories, helping remember childhood teas. Full of flavour, this delicious chutney is perfect with cheese, cold meats and salads. www.hawksheadrelish.com

£3.75 Fine Cheese Company

Fig Chutney A sweet and fruity little number. This fig chutney is best served with soft cheeses such as Brie de Meaux, Vacherin Mont D’Or & Brillat-Savarin. www.finecheese.co.uk

£3.95

Old Amsterdam is a premium aged cheese with a smooth texture and rich, robust taste. As a result of years of dedication and craftsmanship, the Westland family successfully formulated a culture and unique ripening process that imbues Old Amsterdam with its distinctive characteristics - a beautiful balance of savoury-sweet flavour sparked with fine ripening crystals. Available from Waitrose Deli counter, Morrisons Deli Counter, Asda, Ocado, Costco and all good cheese shops. Follow us on Twitter @Oldamsterdamuk or Facebook Old Amsterdam UK

www.oldamsterdam.com

Digging some Iberian curd

n our humble opinion, Spain gets a pretty bad press when it comes to cheese. This is by no means because of a lack of variety, quality and passion from Spanish cheese makers, perhaps more to do with awareness. It seems that people know the Manchego but little else... ............................................................ Recently we had the chance to explore a bit more of the Iberian curd as we prepared for one of our regular Homage2Fromage meetings, and we certainly got our eyes opened. The breadth of different types of artisan cheese is reliant on three main factors - the milk, the geography and the industry. Milk from different breeds of cow, sheep and goat create a palette of flavours and textures. A region's climate and landscape, its grasslands, mountains and coastal plains, add richness and complexity. The culture and industry, the way the cheese physically gets to market, seasonal production, and the very specific demands of customers, provide still more layers of flavour and variety.

In Northern Spain, along the Cantabric coast, from Galicia to the Basque Country, and the Pyrenees, you'll find mainly cow's milk cheeses. Further inland, from Cantabria and Pais Vasco down to Castilla-Le贸n, Castilla La Mancha, Arag贸n, and Extremedura, there are more sheep's milk cheeses. The main source of goat's milk cheeses is along the Mediterranean coast, and in the islands. Cheese made from blends of two, or even three milks are produced across the whole country. Occasional extreme heat and the often tricky routes to local, national and international markets play a part too. There is a healthy variety, and over 100 distinctive artisan cheeses in Spain, here are a few of our favourites...

Mahon

........................................................................... Made in the Balearic Islands since the 13th century, this is a pasteurised cow's milk cheese. Firm, creamy and easy to grate, slice and melt it is a truly versatile cheese. Sea winds and humidity give the milk a high acidity and a touch of saltiness. It is named after Mahon, the capital and main port of Menorca, because all cheese was exported from there. There are many varieties, depending on maturity, from soft semi-curado to a harder mature variety. Traditionally, all Mahon cheeses are prepared for long-term storage and transportation by sea by rubbing with oil and paprika.

Tetilla

........................................................................ This is a distinctively shaped cheese from the Galicia region, almost white with a hard, shiny waxed rind. Made from pasteurised cow's milk, it has a delicate, fragrant soft paste dotted with tiny air pockets. The name means 'little breast', reflecting its 'boob-like' shape. It's also really good for cooking with because it melts easily and evenly.

Cabra al romano

....................................................................... This is a semisoft goatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk cheese produced by Don Lorenzo in Murcia. Made from the rich, creamy milk of the Murciana goat, then covered with loads of fresh rosemary and aged for roughly 90 days, it is dry, smooth with a very clean finish with more than a hint of rosemary.

Queso Garrotxa

...................................................................... Another pressed goat's cheese made from unpasteurised milk. Originally only produced in the Garroxta area of Catalonia, it has a firm but creamy white interior, with a natural grey mould rind. Garrotxa is typically produced in small wheels of around a kilo.

Manchego

..........................................................................

This is the one we all associate with tapas bars, and it seems ubiquitous. It is, however, a cheese that is bound by some very precise rules. To be an authentic Manchego it must be produced in the La Mancha region, only with the whole milk of sheep of the Manchega breed that are raised on registered farms. The cheese must be produced by pressing in a cylindrical mould that has a maximum height of 12 cm and a maximum diameter of 22 cm, and aged for a minimum of 60 days and a maximum of two years.

Idiazabal afumado

............................................................................... A pressed cheese made from unpasteurised sheep milk in the Basque Country. It is handmade and covered in a hard, inedible rind. It is lightly smoked, then aged for a few months and develops a nutty, buttery flavour.

Murcia Al Vino

................................................................................

Also know as 'drunken goat', this is a lush, goat's milk cheese made in the province of Murcia in South-East Spain. It is washed in red wine to give it a fruity, sweet finish and a rich full flavour. Great with charcuterie and olives.

Picos de Europa

...................................................................... Named after the mountain ranges of its origins, Picos de Europa, also known as Valdeon, is a Spanish blue cheese produced in the Valdeon Valley of Castile-Leon region of northwestern Spain. Made all year round with cow or goatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk or a mixture of both, the cheese has very dense blue veining and comes wrapped in maple or chestnut leaves.

Claxstone Blue Crowned Supreme Champion Claxstone Smooth Blue was been crowned as Supreme Champion at this year’s International Cheese Awards

his medium-strength blue cheese is produced by Long Clawson Dairy in Leicestershire. They believe its distinctive taste is down to the milk used which comes from cows left to graze in some of the greenest pastures of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. The cheese makers describe Claxstone Smooth Blue as soft, balanced, creamy and mild but it is also very gentle compared to other blue cheeses on the market, yet it still has that recognisable blue flavour the discerning palette expects. A quintessentially unique English cheese, it has a creamy texture whilst still having a recognizable tangy flavour to give it its personality.

Richard Paul, the International Cheese Awards Show Chairman commented “we had 4,286 entries in all, which is a show record and the standard across the board was very high. Our panel of 190 judges really did have their work cut out to make their selections but they agreed the Claxstone Smooth Blue was an extremely deserving Supreme Champion.” Janice Breedon, Marketing Manager said “We are delighted that the Claxstone range is already receiving great accolades from across the cheese industry by using century old expertise to develop delicious flavours”. Claxstone Blue would make a great addition straight from the fridge to any festive cheeseboard!

Busting the myths when it comes to...

ng Wine Alchemy. Paul Howard is an independent wine educator, runni he responds “if ever there When asked where the company name came from to create a potentially was a description of the seemingly miraculous ability alchemy it is! profound drink from the mere juice of fruit then

matching cheese and wine. There are no rights and wrongs when elines and disasters that can However, it’s worth knowing some guid and cheese matching from be avoided. Here are ten tips for wine surprise you! expert Paul Howard. Some of these may

If you like a particular combination that’s all that matters. However, the common belief that red wine matches cheese best is a myth, which comes as a shock to many.

White wines are more versatile than reds because they have no tannins. Tannins found in red wines are astringent and clash with many fattier or pungent cheeses. A tannic red wine is at its best with drier, harder cheeses – mature cheddar, Parmesan and Manchego work because of this. A low-tannin fruity red (like Beaujolais) or a rosé act more like a white wine.

Cooked cheeses match red wines far more easily as heat completely alters the flavour and texture of cheese think of all those lovely Italian pasta and risotto dishes made with cheese that are delicious with young tannic reds.

White wines also generally have more acidity than red wines, which means they cut through the fat content of the cheese that coats the inside of the mouth more easily, so preventing cloying. This is particularly true of softer, creamier cheeses or goats cheese.

Pairing dry red wine with blue cheese can taste metallic. The culprit? Tannins again. This time the trick is matching the saltiness of a blue cheese with sweetness in a wine. That’s why Red Port and Blue Stilton is a classic. Arguably a sweet white wine is again more versatile, such as Sauternes and Roquefort. The secret is balance: the saltier the blue the sweeter the wine needed.

Beware the cheeseboard choice - the chances of a red wine matching the range of cheeses are slim. If you had a white wine then keep a glass of it back for a cheeseboard rather than saving some of the red.

Often local wine and the local cheese have evolved together – as is very easily seen in France, Spain and Italy. Try British cheeses with good English wines too.

Classic Match Try this perfect...

Sweet whites will also be the happiest combination if you like cheeses that contain fruit apricots and cranberries seem to have an affinity with grapey white Muscats.

Smoked cheeses are the most difficult wine match of all, a real no-go area, until you try a white wine; a Gewurztraminer is a good bet, as is an off-dry Riesling.

Try a glass of fizz with your cheese! Extra-Brut Champagne with Chaorce or Brillat-Savarin should be an inspired pairing, as is demi-sec fizz with blue cheese.

Sauvignon Blanc & Goat’s Cheese

The high acidity in Sauvignon Blanc cuts through the mouth coating fat of the cheese and leaves the palate refreshed. This works with softer young cheeses and harder older examples. The ultimate version is Sancerre with the aged local Chavignol goats cheese.

Leaves the palate refreshed

South African Sauvignon Blanc Western Cape 2012 £5.99 Morrisons

Classic Matches Some more...

Cheese & Wine

e marriages...

Some of Paul Howards’s favourite wine & chees

Alsace Gewurztraminer & Munster Munster is a pungent cow’s-milk cheese with a shiny yellow-orange brine-washed rind. The brine encourages bacteria to develop and it’s this that makes it pong. Gewurztraminer’s nose of heady Turkish delight, rose water and its oily texture is perfect.

Claret & Mature Cheddar Young red bordeaux is particularly difficult with its harsh tannins, so go for artisanal British mature cheddar. Look for cheddar with plenty of bite, for example Isle of Mull or Lincolnshire Poacher. Also excellent with a dram of Single Malt Whisky!

Good Ordinary Claret Giuestet, France £4.99 Ocado Nose of Turkis h delight & rose

Gewurztraminer Waimea Estate 2011

£13.74 Majestic Wine

Sauternes & Roquefort Roquefort is one of the world's great blue cheeses. Crumbly and moist, it is made from unpasteurised ewe’s milk and with distinctive veins of Penicillium Roqueforti, a blue mould only found in local caves. It has a characteristic slightly rancid smell and taste, a buttery texture and the blue veins provide a sharp contrasting bite with a salty finish. The tangy sweetness of a good Sauternes melds effortlessly.

Sauternes

Chatea Suduiraut 2007 £16.29 Waitrose

Tangy sweetness

Grilled Asparagus & Shaved Parmesan See the Cheeseboard website for this recipe: www.cheeseboardmagazine.co.uk

Introducing one of

Norway’s proudest secrets

Where does Jarlsberg cheese come from? A question at the last pub quiz night? Very few people got the answer right. Everyone had heard of this smooth, semi hard cheese, but only a few realized its Scandinavian origins. Leading chefs have been inspired by Jarlsberg for many years as it is reknowned for its superior “meltablity” and cheese lovers warmed to its pleasant rounded taste. So lets find out a bit more about Jarlsberg cheese.

After discovering secret recipes for an earlier version of Jarlsberg (named after its county of origin) made in the 19th century, Professor Ole Martin Ystgaard and his team from the Norwegian Agricultural University decided to reinvent the cheese. They had been looking to revive traditional cheese recipes using modern technologies combined with old cheese making traditions. The result was a new Jarlsberg cheese - like the original, a semi hard, medium fat, tasty cheese with distinctive round holes. That was in 1956 and Jarlsberg still to this day is carefully matured and hand turned to produce the unique cheese wheels. Jarlsberg is a really individual cheese, made from cowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s milk with a mild taste and a sweet nutty flavour. The recipe is kept secret and is known by only a handful of people. As its popularity has spread around the world, Jarlsberg is now one of Norwayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important exports. Nowadays, Jarlsberg is available in a range of forms, including snacking versions. A versatile cheese it works as well melted in a sandwich as it does in a salad or gratin. Why not try Jarlsberg in a Winter Salad for yourselfâ&#x20AC;Ś

Tomato salad with Jarlsberg, basil & pine nuts 8 Tomatoes 100g Jarlsberg cheese Balsamic vinegar 4 Cloves of garlic Extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 50g Roasted pine nuts 4 table spoons thyme

Cut the tomatoes in half , drizzle with a good helping of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then bake in the oven in an oven proof dish along with the garlic and thyme for 15 minutes at 180C. After 15 minutes, remove the skins from the tomatoes then sprinkle with grated Jarlsberg cheese, returning to the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted. Add the roasted pine nuts and serve with crusty bread. This salad also makes a great garnish for meat or fish.

The National

Cheese Awards At the Bath & West Show in Shepton Mallett

BY CHEESE JUDGE JOHN PEARSON I wonder how many of you are aware of the fact that throughout the Summer and Autumn there are a number of cheese competitions held up and down the land, mainly at the County showgrounds but also on village greens (The British Cheese Awards) and the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham (World Cheese Awards). There are many classes to choose from but all exhibits have to be anonymous so that the judging is impartial. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only the cheesemakers who are keen impress the judges but also the big retailers. Several competitions now have classes for retailers. In these classes the retailer nominates which cheeses are to be purchased by a member of the competition committee. The cheeses are then rewrapped to ensure that the judges cannot identify the name of the retailer. In this way judges get to assess the real nature of the quality of cheeses available in the supermarkets!

This is a large country show held over 4 days usually co-inciding with the May half term holiday... a shrewd move by the organisers. The cheese element is part of a range of competitions largely based on livestock. It is a wonderful sight to see prize winning bulls being paraded around the main showground ring on the Thursday afternoon. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve often thought that pinning a rosette onto a bull is a bit more hazardous than the equivalent activity on a block of cheese! There is a special building which houses the cheeses and the judging takes place on the day prior to the official opening of the show.

Because of its location in the heart of Somerset nearly all the cheddar producers are keen to exhibit their cheddars and there are many classes such as Traditional and Block in various stages of maturity. The age profile of the cheeses is specified and ranges from mild through to extra mature and vintage. There is even a class for the best looking Traditional Cheddar! About 10 judges were selected to pick out the best in show and we were looking at a dozen or so cheeses of all types. There was an outstanding Cheshire Cheese which hit all the right buttons which was awarded Reserve Champion. In spite of the dominance of cheddar top prize went to Wensleydale Creameries, best known of course for Real Wensleydale and other crumbly varieties. The cheese was a Traditional Double Gloucester which just goes to show that skilled cheesemakers can be adaptable at making different varieties!

Held at the showground at Harrogate this show is very similar to the Bath & West in that it is primarily an agricultural show. The organisers of the cheese event tend to select judges from a wider background, there are people who run cheese delicatessens as well as graders and retail technologists. There is always a waiting list for judges so we feel privileged to be invited! Judging takes place on the afternoon before the official opening although the Supreme Champion is judged on the following morning. Judges are expected to make more comments about the cheeses which are then displayed for the general public to read when they come round. There is also a lot of general information about the types of cheese we are judging together with a brilliant small scale model of how cheese is made! It is a very customer facing event!

The International Cheese Awards at the Nantwich Show held at the end of July. It is believed to be the biggest cheese competition in the World and with over 4,200 entries takes some organising! Everyone in the cheese trade is there all housed in the biggest tent you can imagine! There are over 170 judges employed to work their way through the classes. Starting at 9 in the morning we finally have a Supreme Champion awarded soon after lunch. I was part of the team of 6 or so involved in this final stage.

Extra-matured Cheddar from the Davidstow Creamery (Dairy Crest) took top honours which goes to show that huge creameries can make world class Cheddars, something that the Food Press is sometimes reluctant to acknowledge. This was closely followed by a Stilton from Tuxford & Tebbut who are based in Melton Mowbray. After the judging I was talking to one of the stewards who was a cheesemaker. She had exhibited one of her cheeses in the soft blue class that I was judging. Although it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win we went back to the cheese and ate it together and talked out the quality. She agreed that it was marginally under-ripe and needed another week or so to be in tip-top condition.

Blue cheeses stole the show this year.... a wonderful creamy Gorgonzola won the best non-UK award and the best in show was a glorious soft blue cheese. Claxton Smooth Blue made by Long Clawson in Nottinghamshire, best known for their Stilton. I had already seen this cheese at the Yorkshire Show and it was brilliant there as well. Marks & Spencer won the retailer award and have been advertising the fact on the cheese fixtures in stores. This is not for a specific cheese but an accumulation of points over the whole range of classes which they entered.

Finally the following weekend featured the Global Cheese Awards held at the Frome Show. This is a two day show featuring events in the main ring. There are cookery demonstrations and I did a few sessions on how we grade and judge cheese. At the end of the show the cheeses are auctioned off rather like the flowers at Chelsea.

A competition judged in September at Churchill in Oxfordshire on the village green on a baking hot afternoon featured over 900 of the best of British cheeses. For the second time Tunworth made by Hampshire Cheeses scooped top prize. This style of washed rind cheese is very difficult to get just right on the day, but this example was superb. We nearly ate the whole exhibit there and then. The selection of judges here is wider still, including Food Writers, journalists and wholesalers. One of my colleagues had come from the USA.

The winner here was a wonderful farmhouse style Gouda made in Canada. It was the first occasion for Glengarry to export an exhibit to a British competition. Follow that! There has been a real renaissance in cheesemaking in Britain in recent years and this is reflected in the growing number of entries at the shows. Cheesemakers, please keep exhibiting and we judges will do our best to give you some practical feedback!

From

COBBLES to

Ex-Coronation Street star Sean Wilson , and soon to be regular roving reporter for the Cheeseboard magazine, explains his strange journey from one of the UK’s best loved soaps to master Cheese maker and International Cheese judge.

he world of cheese is so damn exciting, but can be daunting with the vast range of cheeses out there!!!

I hope my column will help cut out some of the clap-trap when it comes to cheese making. so I’m here to share my knowledge with you so you’ll see there is more to cheese than processed cheddar. Each cheese has it’s own special personality and people’s likes and dislikes can be so subjective. But that’s one of the things I love about cheese, so over the coming editions I’m going to introduce you, in my no nonsense style to some of the most interesting cheeses around. In my role as The Cheeseboard Magazine’s roving reporter with my pal Rev, I’ll be visiting cheese makers and reporting back, hopefully creating a bit of fun along the way!

life is way to short to eat plasticky, processed cheese But I’d better introduce myself first. In cheese tasting terms I have a “rough but well aged exterior, with a creamy warming texture that has a tendency to sharpness when needed but ultimately producing a fulfilling and worthwhile, quirky finish!”

From the Street, I had a dream! My name is Sean Wilson and I am probably one of the most recognised Ex-Coronation Street actors (alive at any rate!) having plied my trade happily on those famous cobbles for 21 years as Gail’s hapless husband.

................................................................................................................................... I’m a happy go lucky kind of guy, but had always had this pipe dream of making Lancashire cheese. The problem I had was that I was struggling to make this dream into a reality. When one day I answered a call from BBC Radio Lancashire asking me to cover as DJ for their morning show? “Oh go on then – what’s the worst thing that can happen?” was my carefree reply. I was met on the first morning by the producer telling me me I was to interview Bob Kitching – The Legendary Lancashire cheese maker!!! A fateful day indeed! A happy go lucky guy himself, Bob and I hit it off straight away I decided to “out” myself live on air, “I’ve wanted to make Lancashire Cheese for years Bob!!” There, I’d said it. It was out, I had declared my love of cheese!

My cheesey journey! Now in 2013, I am very proud to be owner of The Saddleworth Cheese Company, producing award winning artisan Lancashire Cheeses. Bob in time passed on his knowledge to me, I HAD found the perfect man with the perfect “happy” demeanor to teach me!! # fateatwork My knowledge of cheese is a two way Street (pardon the pun) it comes from a deep fondness of French provincial cheeses (and wine of course! hic) and a love of the science of food. Both my interests met each other head on when in 2007 I was working in the kitchen at Northcote Manor, a Michelin starred restaurant in Langho, Blackburn. My cheeses are very much in my beloved French style, and have strong provenance. We only use milk from the farms 300 strong herd of Holstein fresian’s that feed exclusively on the Trough of Bowland pastures. Our grasses proliferate with Clover and Dandilion that bring that characteristic slight acidity essential to producing a damn fine Lancashire Cheese. All this knowledge was passed on to me by Bob, The Master and I was his very lucky and happy student. It’s at this point, I should introduce my compadre and business partner Rev, with whom I will be writing future columns - “a cave aged, rugged little number

Contact me...

eesy story for your If you think you have a ch

roving

k cheeseboardmagazine.co.u reporter contact editorial@ with just a hint of brown sugar, with a rich mix of earthy flavours” who is a lifelong friend and former guitar player in 80’s band The Icicle Works. We are rapidly being dubbed the cheese rockers of the dairy industry and that special mix should make a great recipe for a good some fun tales.

...................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................

I Like A Cheese With A Bit Of Body! Three years ago we had the terrible news that my happy mentor had been diagnosed with the unthinkable - cancer and had to undergo intensive bouts of radio therapy. Rev and I went to see him at his dairy in Chipping, deepest Lancashire in between treatments. We sat in his ad hoc sitting area surrounded by his collection of antique dairy equipment. Bob was on his comfy rocking chair and Rev and I pulled up two chairs to join him. After an hour or so he paused and said, “When I go, I want to be cremated…and then I’d like my ashes used to roll around a wheel of a Lancashire Creamy!!!” Rev and I looked at each other quizzically and turned to Bob. “Why, Bob?” we asked. There was an uncomfortable pause as Bob considered his weighty answer. Then his eyes shone and he said with a loud outburst, “Coz I’ve always liked a creamy cheese with a bit of body!!!” And burst into uproarious laughter at our expense. A true mark of the man and his quirky sense of humour.

The Lancashire LEGEND He was right though, a Creamy Lancashire does need a good bit of body! Bob died 26th February this year. The whole world of cheese mourned the

d used to roll aroun I’d like my ashes ire Creamy!!! sh ca an L a f o l ee h aw passing of such a wholesome, happy, hard-working, family man. There is a lesson we learned from Bob, in that we can all become fixated with profit and loss but we should never forget to have one eye on the fun side of life. That is, out of all the knowledge that Bob so kindly imparted, the lasting legacy that Rev and I want to carry on. We want this column to bring a wealth of information to you, in a down to earth way, the cheese lover but we will never be far away from Bob and his special talent for having a giggle.

To see Sean’s Lancashire Cheese Souffle recipe visit

cheeseboardmagazine.co.uk

Pasta and cheese casseroles have been recorded in a number of medieval 14th century cookbooks.

Mac Mouthwatering

'n'

CHEESE The first modern recipe for the macaroni cheese was found in The Experienced English Housekeeper by Elizabeth Raffald, published in 1769!

By the 1990s the dish had fallen out of favour in the UK - partly because of its inclusion as a cheap staple in school dinners. But over the last couple of years, macaroni cheese has made a comeback - seeing a surge in popularity as a traditional classic in upmarket restaurants made properly with “real cheese” as opposed to the ghastly packet versions which surfaced in the ’80s. As a quick, family dinner everyone loves from kids to grandparents macaroni cheese is the ideal supper to serve those unexpected guests who pop around at Christmas.

Here’s the recipe for

Our perfect macaroni cheese 250g Macaroni 40g Salted butter 40g Plain flour 1 Pint of milk

250g Mature cheddar (grated) 50g Parmigiano-Reggiano (grated) Pinch of black pepper

Boil the macaroni in a large pan of salted water for 8-10 minutes (cooked through but still firm). Melt the butter in another large pan, gradually mix in the 40g of flour to form a roux. Mix in the milk, a little at a time, keeping on stirring. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the mixture has thickened into a smooth sauce. Add a pinch of black pepper. Take the sauce off the heat and mix in 2/3 of the cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano, leaving enough to sprinkle over the top to melt into a crust later. Drain the macaroni and add to the sauce, ensuring the pasta and sauce are mixed well. Add the macaroni and sauce to a deep open proof dish and sprinkle over the remaining cheddar and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Place the dish under a pre-heated grill and cook until the cheese on top is golden and bubbling.

A glam mac and cheese alternative Macaroni cheese or “Mac n cheese” as it is known in America and Canada, has plenty of opportunities for glamming it up for a dinner party… Adding 60g of diced pancetta and 2 chopped shallots when melting the butter to add flavour and texture. Using half a pint of double cream instead of half a pint of milk to make a richer sauce. Swapping the cheddar for a dolcelatte or gorgonzola cheese to provide a twist. Add a handful of breadcrumbs when sprinkling the cheese onto the top to help give you a more crispy crust.

The Of Cheese Judging Come the summer season I was often taunted at work as being the “hanging judge” since I would explain that I was judging again at the various cheese shows up and down the land. Now cheese judging is not a matter of life or death... it’s much more important than that. (Thanks Bill Shankly!)

By Jon Pearson But how do we go about our task? As judges gather rather nervously together at the beginning of the event it reminds me of going back to school to get A level results. Either your name is read out or you are called up to learn your fate... will it be Mature Cheddar or Cheese with Additives? And who will be your partner and steward? Often it is with people you know well, sometimes a complete stranger. I have judged with cheese makers, journalists, owners of small delicatessens and now and then members of the public press-ganged into service! Stewards play a vital role in making the process run smoothly. They need to have good handwriting since I ask them to write down our comments and also the ability to

find copious quantities of water and tissues (and sometimes spoons if we have a really runny specimen.) Some stewards like to be actively involved in tasting the cheese with the judges since they often have a lot of knowledge about the cheeses themselves. On one occasion at Nantwich our steward was an acknowledged expert on Stilton and as we had about 30 samples to get through, her help was invaluable! There are three basic types of class which we encounter. Firstly, a class where all the cheeses are the same type these would be mainly Cheddar and the British Territorials (e.g. Red Leicester, Cheshire, Wensleydale). Cheddar would be broken down into separate Mild, Mature, Extra-Mature and Traditional classes. My approach is to make a quick assessment spending no more than a minute or so deciding whether it’s in the running and worthy of a second look. The cheese is bored with a cheese iron and then tasted. Some judges will rub the cheese in their hand to literally get a feel of the cheese which helps them assess texture and aroma.

As you bore the cheese you get a sense of its firmness. By looking at the back of the cheese iron you also get visual clues about the body and smoothness of the sample. I taste each sample but don’t swallow it. (Hint for organisers: more empty spit cups please!) The steward will have noted which cheeses we want to have a second look at and this is where it gets time consuming! At this stage we look at no more than 8-10 cheeses and after a re-taste whittle this down to 3 or 4. Sometimes the winning cheese can be evident quite early on and we then judge others against “the one to beat”. More time can often be spent in finding 2nd, 3rd and 4th than the winner! There are two challenges with Cheddar judging. Firstly, a class of Mild Cheddar can be difficult for both judges and exhibitors. The cheese needs to have a well developed texture, ie no curdiness or plasticity (ie Edam) but not too much flavour. Excellent cheddars are often eliminated because they have too much flavour for the class. Secondly, the flavour of matured cheddars tends to be polarised between the “old-fashioned” fruity, winey, the savoury styles and the modern sweet versions which predominate these days. If there are excellent examples of both in a class then judges have great difficulty picking a winner! Red Leicester and Double Gloucester have particular characteristics which we look for. In both cases a well balanced sweet/savoury flavour whose depth of flavour would correspond to a Medium Cheddar. However the texture should be quite different, a visible “fleck” showing some signs of a shorter texture while Double Gloucester needs a very silky, creamy feel in the mouth. Crumbly cheeses such as Cheshire and Wensleydale can suffer from being dry and you finish up with a mouth of sawdust. A well made product will be crumbly but also moist on the palate with a refreshing “zing” in the aftertaste, a tricky combination!

The second basic type of class consists of soft cheese or goats cheese, a much wider range of shapes and styles. Included here would be cheese with savoury or sweet additions such as Wensleydale & Cranberry. Soft “lactic” cheeses which ripen over time are very difficult to exhibit because the cheeses are at their best for only a few days. There should be no chalky centre left... but how do you tell without cutting the cheese in advance? Here we are looking for an “unctuous” texture: soft, creamy, smooth, with or without lots of flavour depending upon the cheese type. Thirdly, the classes which I describe as “apples and pears”. For example, “German Cheeses” or “Low-fat cheeses” These will be a complete mix of hard/soft/strong/mild products. The most prestigious class in this group will be the cheeses which make the top table and are judged for Supreme Champion or Best in Show. All these exhibits should be excellent products since other judges have already made them class winners. One dilemma for the organisers of cheese competitions is the level of feedback which judges are expected to give for each entry. It is important for exhibitors to know what the judges thought but pressure of time makes it virtually impossible to record detailed comments, particularly on cheeses which didn’t win a prize. I am very impressed with the comments recorded by judges in floral art competitions which always make interesting reading.

In all these types of class, however, I am looking for a cheese which is “moreish” a word I use a lot. Presentation and appearance are important but the big question for me is... do I want another piece of this cheese?

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