WINNING CHEESE
Lancashire’s cheesemakers came away from the 2019 British Cheese Awards with an abundance of accolades
The British Cheese Awards bring together an extensive network of producers and retailers, attracting cheese makers from across the UK and Ireland. Over 800 entries were judged at this year’s awards, with the winners recognised with medals that are a quality mark, representing cheese that is perfectly made.
Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses kicked off their season in immaculate style with an incredible showing. The Inglewhite-based dairy came away with seven Gold awards, three Silvers and five Bronze awards – a medal for every single variety of their farmhouse cheeses, their best ever result.
Gold winners included Stratford Blue, Beacon Blue, Ravens Oak, Kidderton Ash, Trotter Hill and Rothbury Red. Butlers also got silver for Blacksticks Blue, their famous contemporary farmhouse blue cheese, with the unique colouring that has been incredibly popular since its launch.
Matthew Hall, Commercial Director and fourth generation of the family-run dairy was delighted with the results: “The fact that Butlers can offer such a broad repertoire of award winning cheeses is testament to the craftsmanship of our incredible team. We’re proud that the judges recognised the quality of our cheeses, with a range that allows chefs and consumers to craft the perfect gourmet cheeseboard.”
Other Gold award-winning soft cheeses from Butlers included Burland Bloom and Button Mill.
Butlers also received medals for its hard cheeses including Mrs Butlers Creamy Lancashire (Silver), Butlers Farmhouse Crumbly Lancashire (Silver), Farmhouse Double Gloucester (Bronze), Butlers Farmhouse Mature Cheddar (Bronze) and Inglewhite (Bronze).
Established in 1932, Butlers are specialists in handcrafted cheeses with quality and provenance at their core. All the milk comes from within a 10-mile radius of the dairy and is mainly sourced from members of the family who have farmed the Lancashire countryside for over 100 years.
Expertly blending innovation and heritage, Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses are a benchmark of excellence within UK cheesemaking. It’s an exciting time for the brand, with several new launches expected later this year, including specialist Christmas products. Enjoying non-stop growth for over 85 years, Butlers are joining other Lancashire cheese makers in leading the British cheese renaissance into a new era.
The British Cheese Awards also saw Lancashire-based Greenfields win two golds for their Crumbly Lancashire in the traditional/cylinder and block categories.
Greenfields’ Crumbly Lancashire, which has a fresh, slightly acidic flavour with a smooth and moist texture, was first made in the early 1950s at Chipping by Timothy Procter, the grandfather of current Managing Director Steven Procter.
The making of Crumbly Lancashire was as a result of customers requesting a bright, white, moist, crumbly cheese as an alternative to the more traditional creamy and tasty varieties of Lancashire cheese available at that time.
Crumbly Lancashire is the ideal cheese for accompanying fruit cake or apple pie, crumbled over salads and ideal for omelettes and souffles.
Also a winner at the awards was Longridge-based Singletons & Co who combine traditional handcrafted techniques, that have been tried and tested over generations.
Working with a small group of local farmers based in the countryside that surrounds the dairy, all cheeses made by Singletons & Co are made to exacting standards, using tried and tested techniques using only Bowland milk. This rich milk produces Grandma Singletons Famously Strong Lancashire, the strongest Lancashire cheese available in the UK. Singletons & Co won awards for its Parlick Sheep’s Milk Cheese and Beacon Fell PDO Creamy Lancashire.
www.butlerscheeses.co.uk
www.singletonscheese.com
www.greenfieldsdairy.co.uk
