IN THIS MONTHS CHEESEBOARD FEATURE, TRACEY COLLEY FROM HARVEY & BROCKLESS LOOKS AT THE RESURGENCE OF RAW MILK CHEESE, THE ONCE CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC.
● One of the key cheese trends we
are currently exploring at Harvey & Brockless is the resurgence of raw milk cheese. In the past this type of cheese has often been misunderstood by consumers and policy makers – to the extent that it has been threatened to be made illegal! Fortunately, the fear of bacteria is now being overcome and people are beginning to see how special these cheeses really are. Especially with the popularity of the ‘raw food diet’, we are seeing a real revival. The raw food diet is based on consuming natural foods that are uncooked, unprocessed and unpasteurised – basically going back to the real grass roots of eating! When you pasteurise milk, nearly 100% of the naturally occurring bacteria are eliminated. This means that to replace the bacterial cultures needed to create cheese, a starter culture is added back in. Raw milk cheese is naturally matured with its own bacteria – which, as long as they are conscientiously controlled, are perfectly safe and highly nutritious. To be assured of the quality of their
raw milk, cheesemakers devote an unrivalled level of attention to the source; carefully managing the land and their dairy herd. As a result raw milk cheese has an extraordinary connection to the landscape, �lora and fauna of where it is produced. In
HARVEY & BROCKLESS MEET THE MAKER PROGRAMME
SOUTH EAST Westminster Kingsway College, London 13TH APRIL NORTH WEST Old Trafford, Manchester 18TH MAY
MIDLANDS Cheese Cellar Dairy, Broomhall Farm, Worcester 15TH JUNE The Delicatessen Magazine 17
fact, American cheese retailer and author Steve Jenkins once famously described the cheese to be: “one of the most beautiful and romantic links between human beings and the earth that we will ever know.” Of course, to the retailer �lavour is undeniably important. Raw milk cheese delivers incredible length and depth of �lavour, as close to the pastures and terroir as it can be. Artisan cheesemakers using unpasteurised milk are maintaining a centuries old heritage, and we are discovering a growing wealth of talent – especially in the UK. With its earthy, mushroom �lavours, a particular
favourite of mine is Fen Farm Dairy’s Baron Bigod. Produced in small batches in Suffolk this is the UK’s only traditional raw milk Brie-de-Meaux style cheese. Other cheesemakers
creating raw milk cheeses include; Appleby’s, Keens Cheddar, Berkswell, Cheese Cellar Dairy, Isle of Mull, Lincolnshire Poacher, Montgomery, Mrs Kirkham’s, Norbury Blue and Winterdale Shaw.
ACCOMPANIMENTS TO CHEESE
ONE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY THINGS ABOUT CHEESE IS THAT IT IS SO INCREDIBLY VERSATILE.
CHEESEMAKERS HAVE THEIR OWN UNIQUE METHOD TO CREATE CHEESE AND CONSUMERS HAVE THEIR OWN WAY OF ENJOYING IT!
HERE ARE A FEW ‘MUST-TRY’ COMBINATIONS:
THE BAY TREE GARLIC PICKLE & QUICKE’S MATURE CHEDDAR It may sound strange to pair a traditional Indian condiment with a very British cheese, but the distinctive fl avour of the pickle works beautifully with the creamy richness of the cheddar.
VALHRONA CHOCOLATE & COLSTON BASSETT STILTON Try making blue cheese truffl es using Colston Bassett Stilton and Valhrona Dark Chocolate. The reception may be a bit ‘Marmite’ – but defi nitely worth a taste!
Saturday 16th April is Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day, and Harvey & Brockless will be celebrating at the London leg of our Meet the Makers tour! Taking place on Wednesday
13th April at Westminster Kingsway College, the event will showcase over 30 cheesemakers with at least 12 producing raw milk cheese. We will
THE FORAGING FOX HOT BEETROOT KETCHUP & GRILLED HALLOUMI Barbeque season is just around the corner. This Hot Beetroot Ketchup delivers a delicious lip-tingling heat, sure to bring some warmth when the British weather fails to!
A LITTLE BIT LEMON AND TARRAGON DRESSING & FETA This exciting new dressing combines beautifully with feta to create an incredibly refreshing, summer salad.
be hosting a Wild Beer Co and Raw Milk Cheese Pairing masterclass and visitors will be able to sample produce from all over the UK as well as taste test raw and processed milk varieties.” ●
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44