CE20_p48_p49_Cheese Making 7/8/2009 10:11 Page 1
Food Breaking the mould
For a man who cannot bear the taste of milk, dairy king Clive Curtis
has worked wonders at Cirencester’s Organic Farm Shop. Since he set
up his own micro dairy at the award-winning shop, he has produced
delicious treats, all organic, including butter, milk, yoghurt and even
soft cheese. The produce is so good that it is being entered into the
British Cheese Awards this year. Clive is now sharing his vast
expertise by running special cheese-making courses and Cotswold
Essence went along to find out what it was all about.
Words by Emma Tilley
Whey is a rich source of protein
Pictures by Richard Pasco
commonly used to feed pigs and also to
produce Ricotta cheese.
Once we had piled all the curd into a
T
HE courses at
mould and left it, Clive did all the tedious
Cirencester’s Organic
work of turning the cheeses to make sure
Farm Shop are the
they drain properly.
His cheese room is a thing to be
ideal gift for anyone who has admired.
ever pondered the difference
Cheddar and soft cheeses stand side by
side in different stages of mould
between double and single
production.
Gloucester.
Patience is a virtue in cheese-making as
All those who take part make their own
a simple cheddar takes all of nine months
soft cheese - specially designed by Clive
to ripen to perfection.
for Abbey Home Farm and named
Hilary Chester-Master, who runs the
Dancey’s Fancy after one of the fields -
Organic Farm Shop spent two-and-a-half
and enjoy a tasty organic lunch at the
years searching for the perfect cheese-
café next to the shop.
maker.
Clive, who has been in the dairy
Despite a number of applicants, no-one
business for 45 years and used to work at
appeared to be a master of their craft
Daylesford Farm Shop, takes a group of
until Clive came along.
cheese-illiterate people and gives them
“My aim for the farm is to have
the skills to make cheese in their own
everything fresh and raised on the farm,”
kitchen.
she said. “Not just vegetables and meat
When I tagged along on one of the
but milk and cheese too.”
courses, it was difficult to know what to
“Skilled food craftsmen seem to have
expect.
skipped a generation and it has become
But Clive’s easy-going nature soon put
much more industrial. There are few
everyone at rest and once we had donned
people who are apprenticed to their
the white overall and hair net, he
fathers and become masters of their craft
launched straight into his lesson.
now and to me it is quite a concern.”
We learnt that wrapping Edam in wax
It took a total of five years to covert an
keeps it moist and Parmesan is one of the
old building into the small dairy and it
hardest cheeses because it has a low
has proved perfect for the farm's Soft Cheese
percentage of water.
production.
Ingredients:- 2.5 litres of pasteurised milk,
All manner of things can affect the
To Clive, it is home away from home.
0.25gm of mixed starter culture & 1ml
flavour of a cheese, including the way it is
‘I am in here in the early hours of the
of rennet. Rennet used was Marzyme
wrapped and how good the grass is that
morning and I work until I finish what I microbial standard strength. Cultures:-
the cows are eating, for example, in the
have got to do, but I still love it after all TA54, GEO17, PLA & CUM.
Spring the milk has a higher fat content
these years,” he said.
and a cheesemaker will need to adjust the
According to Hilary the micro dairy is
1. Warm the milk to 36C add the
cultures accordingly.
the new black. culture & stir for 5 minutes, then stir
The culture (bacteria) is added to the
She said: “It is coming back in fashion. sporadically untill the rennet is added.
warm milk first and this gives the cheese
And our courses give people skills that are 2. 30 minutes after adding the culture
acidity and also produces the rind. The
really useful and fun and more to the the milk is ready for the addition of the
rennet is then put in which coagulates the
point, tasty.” rennet, ensure the temperature of the
milk before you separate the curds and
The next cheese-making courses will be held on
milk is 36C add the rennet & stir for
whey. It was at this point that Clive
August 22, November 7 and January 16 - the
1-2 minutes ensure the rennet is evenly
surprised us all with his penchant for
Christmas present for the person who has
distributed throughout the milk.
drinking ice-cold whey.
everything. For more information email
3. Allow the milk to coagulate.
“Its very refreshing,” he said. “I have
info@theorganicfarmshop.co.uk or call
4. Cut the coagulum - cut into quite
never been too keen on the taste of milk
01285 640441.
large cubes (approx 1/2 inch cubes) the
though.” cutting of the coagulum produces the
48 COTSWOLDESSENCE | SEPTEMBER ~ NOVEMBER 2009
www.cotswoldessence.co.uk
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