Producing the Goods

Record-breaking World Cheese Awards

THE 2021 World Cheese Awards, taking place in Oviedo, Spain, on Wednesday 3rd November, have received more than 4,000 entries from a record-breaking 45 countries. They include not only the great cheese-making nations, France, Spain, Italy, England and Switzerland, but also  India, Guatemala, Japan, Colombia, Israel and Ukraine. The 33rd annual awards are taking place…

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Three stars for Capreolus products

WEST Dorset artisan charcuterie producers Capreolus have once again received a list of two and three stars in this year’s Great Taste Awards, including the prestigious three stars for Wild Venison Chorizo and Dorset Soft Salami. David and Karen Richards, who have been creating delicious artisan charcuterie since 2009, also received three two-star awards for…

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Great Taste 2021 awards

THREE outstanding meat products from the South West have received the coveted three stars in the newly announced 2021 Great Taste Awards. The world’s leading food award scheme attracts entries from around the world. This year 14,113 different products, from 108 countries, were judged at the Gillingham HQ of organisers the Guild of Fine Food,…

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Double Taste of the West gold for Capreolus

WEST Dorset charcuterie specialists Capreoleus have added to their long list of awards by taking a gold double in this year’s Taste of the West Awards, the Special Edition Pannage Ham, a slowly matured, air-dried ham using rare bread pigs from the New Forest, and Venison and Green Peppercorn Salami. David and Karen Richards have…

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Seize the seasoning!

ONE of the country’s best-known and tastiest sea salts, the long-established Maldon Salt has a striking new look. The introduction of the new look comes with a call to chefs, home cooks and foodies to “Seize the seasoning”. The contemporary new design, with its trademarked diamond pattern, will start to appear on supermarket shelves from…

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Artisan category at Frome cheese awards

THE Global Cheese Awards, part of the annual Frome Agricultural and Cheese Show, which has been held every year since 1861 (apart from 2020), will be back, on 11th September, with a new cheese section aimed specifically at artisan producers. The pandemic stopped both the show and the Global Cheese Awards as well as damaging…

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Top prize for new Somerset cheese

A NEW European-style cheese,  La Fresca Margarita, made at Feltham’s Farm near Wincanton, has won Best British Cheese at the Virtual Cheese Awards 2021 For cheese-maker Marcus Fergusson, it was his second year as supreme champion, following the success of his Renegade Monk as the best British cheese in the first Virtual Cheese Awards in…

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Looking for the Affineur of the Year

A NEW competition to find the Affineur of the Year competition has been launched by Devon-based cheesemaker, Quicke’s, and the Academy of Cheese, to help celebrate the age-old art of maturing cheese and guiding it to its full potential. Eight three-month matured 27kg truckles of Quicke’s cheddar are now in place at maturing rooms across…

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Grow your own taste of the sea

MARSH samphire – sometimes known as “the mermaid’s kiss” – has been making its salty, crunchy presence felt on restaurant and domestic tables in recent years, and now you can grow your own seashore delicacy, thanks to Wincanton-based Somerset Samphire. Samphire is already a native of Somerset, loving the salt marshes, where local farmers also…

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The joys of cheese on toast

AFTER months of lockdowns, and with the gradual reopening of pubs, cafes and restaurants, we can now look forward to enjoying eating out. But it is also a chance to look back at how we all spent our time and for many it seems that Cheese On Toast was an important part of our lockdown…

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