A weekend dedicated to cheese, this is what dreams are made of! And it’s not just any cheese either, this Bank holiday weekend (8th -10th of May 2020) we are celebrating British cheese.
Britain’s specialist cheesemakers and retailers have joined forces to create the British Cheese Weekender to support artisan cheesemakers, and independent cheesemongers across the country. Led by the Specialist Cheesemakers Association (SCA), the Academy of Cheese, and the Guild of Fine Food, the Weekender aims to raise awareness of UK cheese, and to help cheese lovers connect with their local cheesemakers and retailers.
The weekend celebrates all that is great about British cheese, here at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses we can’t think of a better way to put British Cheese in the spotlight and ensure it receives the credibility it deserves. Cheesemongers are passionate about their produce and now have the chance to showcase their best kept secrets. Did you know that there are over 700 phenomenal British cheeses on the market? It's wonderful that more of them will now become our favourite cheese, as we hope the Weekender will drive more people to try (and fall in love with) British cheese.
British cheesemaking is a bastion craft; the learnings, skills and dedication cheesemakers put into the their work has resulted in some of the world's best cheeses! For years shoppers believed you couldn’t make great soft cheese in the UK, however the UK actually produces some of the finest soft cheese in the world. At Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses we make two wonderful soft cows' milk cheeses - Burland Boom & Button Mill, and once tasted, they are ranked as highly (if not higher) than the continental alternatives in their fridge.
In the light of COVID-19, and the way this has changed the way we all shop, the industry has been quick to respond and has created new ways to get British cheeses to the nation's cheese lovers. Online shopping has increased and this means people can buy their cheese directly from the cheesemaker, straight from the dairy, meaning the cheese is fresher and will last longer in your home fridge. The British Cheese Weekender will bring more independent businesses to the attention of cheese eaters and give them the chance to try more locally produced cheese.
We’re pleased to say that this has led to the launch of two new initiatives at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses!
The first is Letterbox Cheese, a contact free way to deliver a fresh cheese directly to you, carefully packaged in a bespoke box that fits through your letterbox.
The second is the Butlers Larder, a curated selection of the most exciting artisan producers in the North-West of England (not just cheesemakers). Working with these producers, the Butlers Larder has been able to offer food, drink and lifestyle products to the people of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and parts of West Yorkshire, every week. We have great links with so many great artisan makers and producers and during this difficult time we wanted to ensure that you were able to continue to get the produce you need, whilst ensuring our fellow producers can continue to do what they do best - knowing there is a way to get their products to you.
Cheesemaking is a huge part of our heritage - for over four generations we have mastered what makes each of our cheeses tick, and how to bring out the best flavour. We really do know cheesemaking like the back of our hands and it is wonderful that this weekend is dedicated to our craft. It’s going to be a great cheese-filled weekend - which British cheese are you going to try next?