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…
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…
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…
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…
SOMERSET craft cider producer Harry’s Cider Company of Long Sutton, has launched a new Pink Rhubarb cider as part of Southwest Cider Week. The new addition to Harry’s fruit cider range has a delicate and refreshing flavour, with a hint of nectarine and some vanilla notes on the finish. Light pink in colour, it is…
WE were driving through Somerton, on our way back from some photography for our new book, Deepest Somerset, when we spotted a sign for a new chocolate shop. Who can resist? Well, not us. New Street leads off Broad Street, to the east of this pretty ancient town, once the capital of Wessex. It’s a…
AWARD-winning charcutier David Richards of Capreolus Fine Foods at Rampisham in West Dorset has created a new product which follows in a tradition dating back nearly 1,000 years – the commoners’ right of Mast (or pannage) in the New Forest. Working with New Forest commoner and farmer Jonny Burrell, David is producing New Forest Pannage…
DEVON-based alcohol-free spirits company Sea Arch Drinks is working with The Seahorse Trust to help boost awareness of the charity and raise much-needed funds to support its research and conservation work. Both based in Devon, Sea Arch and The Seahorse Trust share a passion for the coast and a commitment to protecting the natural world….
A MAP is an essential tool for any journey, says Devon cheese-maker Mary Quicke, introducing the Devon-based clothbound Cheddar producer’s Flavour Mapping Project, a new framework to enhance the world’s appreciation of cheese. The project is a response to the growing interest in artisan and farmhouse cheese. It charts the journey, from initial taste to…
TEN years of planning and maturing in the barrels have come to fruition with the release of Dartmoor Whisky, the ideal Christmas gift for any fan of single malt. Distilled and aged in the West Country’s first whisky distillery, at the gateway to Dartmoor the former in Bovey Tracey Town Hall, this whisky is firmly…