Blessed are the cheesemakers
It is a common practice among people of the same profession to talk about their jobs when they all get together, and cheese makers are no different. However, cheese makers, particularly smaller ones, usually operate individually. As one cheese maker put it, “I look forward to the next valid opportunity to tear myself away from my vat.” Cheese making can be a lonely, frustrating business.
Jaap de Jonge of Jongia Ltd, agent for a variety of cheese making equipment in the UK, provided an opportunity for socialising last Wednesday, when a group of cheese makers and myself headed to the Isle of Wight to see the sights of the Isle of Wight Cheese Company, a farm-based dairy firm that is putting the Isle of Wight (www.isleofwightcheese.co.uk) on the cheese making map, with its blue, soft and gallybagger cheeses. As is usual, I probably know less than the collective about the cost of silage and why goats are more difficult to keep alive than cows, but by the end of the day I knew more than I had at the start. These trips are very educational for me.
I think it is also heartening to see how established cheese makers and newbies alike exchange ideas and swap helpful tips for cheese making. It may not be the easiest job on the planet, but you get the distinct impression from cheese makers that it is a job they wouldn’t trade. As Sarah Hall of Brock Hall Farm Dairy put it, “It is this spirit of helpfulness and openness that will hopefully enable us all to question and innovate, which can only mean great things for the future of British cheese.”
So, I encourage you all to support your local cheese maker. And to read the full report about my visit in the next issue of Dairy Industries International – online and in the magazine.
