Britains Best Artisan Cheese
Pevensey Blue, a blue cheese made by Pevensey Cheese Company of Holden Farm in East Sussex has won Supreme Champion at this year’s Artisan Cheese Awards held in St Mary’s Church in Melton Mowbray, the home of Stilton Cheese. This brine washed blue cheese made with pasteurised milk and animal rennet is the creation of new comers to cheesemaking; Martin and Hazel Tkalez. The couple have only been making cheese for two years. Prior to that Martin worked for 15 years as a Cheesemonger in Neal Yard’s, London. Some four years ago he decided that rather than just sell cheese he would like to make his own cheese and so applied for a Leader Funded grant and set about designing and building his own dairy. Two years on and with a lot of advice and help from colleagues in the cheese world Martin and Hazel have produced an award winning stunning blue cheese. The cheese beat off competition from almost 500 entries into this year’s awards from across the UK and Ireland.
One of the judges at the Awards described Pevensey Blue as a soft, creamy blue cheese with a hint of sweetness. The Awards Ceremony was the highlight of a weekend of Cheese in Melton Mowbray with the two day Artisan Cheese Fair projected to welcome over 8,000 visitors and over 40 cheesemakers including 8 over from Ireland for the first time since Covid. Many have reported record sales in the first day of trading.
| Trophy | Cheesemaker | Cheese |
| Supreme Champion | Pevensey Cheese Company Limited | Pevensey Blue |
| Reserve Supreme Champion | Cheesemakers of Canterbury | Ashmore Farmhouse |
| Best Small Producer | Bluebell Falls | Bluebell Falls Goats Cheese |
| Best Micro Producer | Cheese Bothy | White Laggan |
| Best English Cheese | Pevensey Cheese Company Limited | Pevensey Blue |
| Best Irish Cheese | Velvet Cloud – Rockfield Dairy | Rockfield |
| Best Scottish Cheese | St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese | Anster |
| Best Welsh Cheese | Cosyn Cymru | Brefu Bach |
| Class | Description | Trophy | Cheesemaker | Cheese |
| Supreme Champion | Pevensey Cheese Company Limited | Pevensey Blue | ||
| Reserve Supreme Champion | Cheesemakers of Canterbury | Ashmore Farmhouse | ||
| Best Small Producer | Bluebell Falls | Bluebell Falls Goats Cheese | ||
| Best Micro Producer | Cheese Bothy | White Laggan | ||
| Best English Cheese | Pevensey Cheese Company Limited | Pevensey Blue | ||
| Best Irish Cheese | Velvet Cloud – Rockfield Dairy | Rockfield | ||
| Best Scottish Cheese | St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese | Anster | ||
| Best Welsh Cheese | Cosyn Cymru | Brefu Bach | ||
| 1 | Fresh Cheese | Winner | Rosary Ash | Rosary Goats Cheese Ltd |
| 2 | Soft Cheese | Winner | Bluebell Falls Goats Cheese Original 500g log | Bluebell Falls |
| 3 | Semi-Soft Cheese | Winner | Cornish Yarg | Lynher Daries Cheese Company Ltd |
| 4 | Hard Cheese | Winner | White Laggan | Cheese Bothy |
| 5 | Blue Cheese | Winner | Pevensey Blue | Pevensey Cheese Company Limited |
| 6 | Cow Cheese | Winner | Evenlode | King Stone Dairy |
| 7 | Sheep Cheese | Winner | Rockfield | Velvet Cloud – Rockfield Dairy |
| 8 | Goat Cheese | Winner | Brightwell Ash | Norton & Yarrow Cheese |
| 9 | Vegetarian Cheese | Winner | Crozier Blue | Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers |
| 10 | Organic Cheese | Winner | Aged Gouda | Connage Highland Dairy |
| 11 | Raw Milk Cheese | Winner | Ashmore Farmhouse | Cheesemakers of Canterbury |
| 12 | Farmhouse Cheese | Winner | Sparkenhoe Blue | Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co |
| 13 | Raw Milk Farmhouse Cheese | Winner | St Colman | Fermoy Natural Cheese Company |
| 14 | Territorial Cheese | Winner | Anster | St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese |
| 15 | Protected Name Cheese | Winner | Dovedale Blue PDO | Hartington Creamery |
| 16 | New Cheese Cheese | Winner | Pevensey Blue | Pevensey Cheese Company Limited |
| 17 | Washed Rind Cheese | Winner | Rebel Nun | Feltham’s Farm Ltd |
| 18 | Smoked Cheese | Winner | Smoke ‘n’ Jack | Padstow Cheese Company Limited |
| 19 | Flavoured Cheese | Winner | Rosary Garlic & Herb | Rosary Goats Cheese Ltd |
| 1 | Fresh Cheese | Highly Commended | Fresh Goat Curd | Cheese Cellar Dairy |
| 1 | Fresh Cheese | Highly Commended | Macroom Buffalo Ricotta 200g | Macroom Buffalo Cheese Products Ltd |
| 1 | Fresh Cheese | Highly Commended | Reduced Fat Soft Cheese | Yester Farm Dairies |
| 2 | Soft Cheese | Highly Commended | Edmund Tew | Blackwoods Cheese Company |
| 2 | Soft Cheese | Highly Commended | Tunworth | Hampshire Cheese Company Ltd |
| 2 | Soft Cheese | Highly Commended | Drunken Saint | Sheridans |
| 3 | Semi-Soft Cheese | Highly Commended | Norfolk Mardler | Fielding Cottage |
| 3 | Semi-Soft Cheese | Highly Commended | Dunmore | Galway Cheese |
| 4 | Hard Cheese | Highly Commended | Lincolnshire Poacher | Lincolnshire Poacher |
| 4 | Hard Cheese | Highly Commended | Yorkshire Fiore | Olianas Yorkshire Pecorino Cheese |
| 5 | Blue Cheese | Highly Commended | Burt’s Blue | Burts Cheese |
| 5 | Blue Cheese | Highly Commended | Cashel Blue | Cashel Farmhouse Cheesemakers |
| 6 | Cow Cheese | Highly Commended | White Laggan | Cheese Bothy |
| 6 | Cow Cheese | Highly Commended | Ballinvarrig Cheddar | Hegarty’s Cheddar |
| 7 | Sheep Cheese | Highly Commended | Yorkshire Fiore | Olianas Yorkshire Pecorino Cheese |
| 7 | Sheep Cheese | Highly Commended | Fetish | White Lake Cheese |
| 8 | Goat Cheese | Highly Commended | Boyne Valley Bán | Boyne Valley Goat Farm |
| 8 | Goat Cheese | Highly Commended | Wensum White | Fielding Cottage |
| 9 | Vegetarian Cheese | Highly Commended | Brefu bach | Cosyn Cymru |
| 9 | Vegetarian Cheese | Highly Commended | Cote Hill Blue | Cote Hill Farm |
| 9 | Vegetarian Cheese | Highly Commended | Wild Garlic Yarg | Lynher Daries Cheese Company Ltd |
| 10 | Organic Cheese | Highly Commended | Bath Blue | Bath Soft Cheese |
| 10 | Organic Cheese | Highly Commended | Gert Lush | Feltham’s Farm Ltd |
| 11 | Raw Milk Cheese | Highly Commended | Long Buckby Blue | Hamm Tunn Fine Foods |
| 11 | Raw Milk Cheese | Highly Commended | St Jude | St Jude Cheese |
| 12 | Farmhouse Cheese | Highly Commended | Lincolnshire Poacher | Lincolnshire Poacher |
| 12 | Farmhouse Cheese | Highly Commended | Montgomery’s Mature Cheddar | Montgomery’s Cheese |
| 12 | Farmhouse Cheese | Highly Commended | Hebden Goat | Tenacres Cheese |
| 13 | Raw Milk Farmhouse Cheese | Highly Commended | Corra Linn | Errington Cheese Ltd |
| 13 | Raw Milk Farmhouse Cheese | Highly Commended | Mrs Kirkhams Tasty Lancs | Mrs Kirkhams Cheese |
| 14 | Territorial Cheese | Highly Commended | Sparkenhoe Red Leicester | Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co |
| 14 | Territorial Cheese | Highly Commended | Mrs Kirkhams Tasty Lancs | Mrs Kirkhams Cheese |
| 15 | Protected Name Cheese | Highly Commended | Single Gloucester | Godsells Cheese |
| 15 | Protected Name Cheese | Highly Commended | Keen’s Extra mature Cheddar | Keen’s Cheddar Ltd |
| 15 | Protected Name Cheese | Highly Commended | Swaledale Farmhouse | Swaledale Cheese Company The |
| 16 | New Cheese Cheese | Highly Commended | Pippin | Four Brothers Cheese |
| 16 | New Cheese Cheese | Highly Commended | Kylemore Claddagh Seaweed | Kylemore Farmhouse Cheese |
| 17 | Washed Rind Cheese | Highly Commended | Yarlington | King Stone Dairy |
| 17 | Washed Rind Cheese | Highly Commended | Milleens | Milleens Cheese |
| 17 | Washed Rind Cheese | Highly Commended | Baby Baronet | Old Cheese Room The |
| 18 | Smoked Cheese | Highly Commended | Ashmore Smoked | Cheesemakers of Canterbury |
| 18 | Smoked Cheese | Highly Commended | Smoked Montgomery’s Cheddar | Montgomery’s Cheese |
| 19 | Flavoured Cheese | Highly Commended | Carrigaline Truffle Cheese | Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheese |
| 19 | Flavoured Cheese | Highly Commended | Peakland White with Black Pepper | Hartington Creamery |
Dr Matthew O’Callaghan OBE
Organiser
07894229499
Britain’s Best Cheese: Ashcombe a ‘Lockdown Cheese’ is Supreme Champion at 2021 Artisan Cheese Awards.
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A cheese invented during lockdown has beaten off stiff competition from 600 cheeses from across the UK and Ireland to win the coveted title of Supreme Champion at this year’s Artisan Cheese Awards. The cheese also won the titles of best English Cheese, Best New Cheese, Best Farmhouse Cheese and Best Washed Rind Cheese. The top prize also attracted £1,000 cash from sponsors The Fine Cheese Co.
Ashcombe is produced by David Jowett, one of Britain’s youngest cheesemakers, just barely 30 years old. It’s a French Morbier style cheese which has the distinct ash layer running through the centre of the cheese. Receiving the awards at St Mary’s Church in Melton Mowbray, famous for Stilton Cheese, David said “I wanted to support during lockdown the farmer that supplies me with my milk so created this cheese to help him use some of the milk that he would normally sell elsewhere.”
At 30, young Jowett has had a meteoric rise to fame in the cheesemaker’s world bursting on to the scene with his Rollright which again took Supreme Champion and a slew of other titles at the 2016 Artisan Cheese Awards. He had only started selling his cheese just 8 months before the event in August 2015.
New cheesemakers also did well with other awards; newly opened Balcombe Dairy (Blue Sky Cheese) which operates out of 4 containers on a farm won the Best Blue Cheese Class and Best Small Producer. Woodlands Dairy (Fresh Ewe Cheese) won Best Organic Cheese and Best Micro Producer and Homewood Cheese (Melbury) won Best Sheeps Cheese.
Traditional Dairies won their share of Awards; Montgomery’s Cheddar winning Best Hard Cheese and Joint Supreme Champion Runner-Up. Keen’s Cheddar won Best Territorial and Best PFN and Appleby’s Smoked Best Flavoured Cheese.
Popular favourites Hampshire Cheese (Wigmore – Best Soft Cheese), Village Maid (Maida Vale – Best Cow’s Cheese) and Cote Hill (Cote Hill Blue – Best Vegetarian) also featured.
The Irish sent over 155 cheeses from 31 dairies and won a slew of awards starting with Joint Supreme Champion Runner-Up for Galway and for Fermoy – both also Joint Best Irish Cheese. Galway Cheese’s ‘Galway Tom’ won Best Goat and Best Semi-Soft Cheese while Fermoy Natural Cheese (St Gall) won Best Raw Milk Cheese.
Best Scottish Cheese went to St Andrew’s Farmhouse Cheese (Anster) and Best Welsh Cheese to Cosyn Cymru for Brefu Bach.
The 600 cheeses were judged by 60 judges including buyers from Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Fine Cheese Co, Bradbury’s, La Fromagerie, Neal’s Yard, Paxton & Whitfield…
Sponsors: We’re very grateful to the following sponsors..
Supreme Champion – The Fine Cheese Co
Class 3: Hard Cheese – SMB College
Class 9: Raw Milk Cheese – La Fromagerie
Class 11: Farmhouse – Bradbury’s
Class 12: Territorial – Harvey & Brockless
Class 14: New Cheese – Neal’s Yard
Notes
David Jowett – David was trained in culinary arts but switched to Cheesemaking after learning the craft at Ram Hall Dairy, famous its sheep’s cheese Berkswell. He studied Cheesemaking at the School of Artisan Food on the Welbeck Estate in Nottinghamshire. He interned in nearby Stichelton, then at Neal’s Yard and at Jasper Hill in Vermont, USA. After graduating, he returned to Paxton & Whitfield, cheesemongers to the Queen, for a period of time, and soon became cheesemaker for Gorsehill Abbey Farm in Worcestershire. He established the King Stone Dairy in Chedworth, Gloucestershire in 2015.
Click here to read an interview with David in 2015.
Ashcombe is inspired by Morbier, a classic French cheese from the Franche-Comté, and features a striking line of wood ash running through the centre of the cheese. Ashcombe is a large, flat, disc shaped cheese, 6kg, which is carefully washed in a special brine solution to develop a bright terracotta rind. The rind is meaty and savoury, while the paste has aromas of warm milk and hay. The flavours are comforting and rich, reminding us of melted butter and fresh hazelnuts. The cheese is aged for 2-4 months and is described as a washed rind, semi-hard pasteurised cow’s milk cheese.
Classes : There are 16 Classes which include Soft, Semi-Soft, Hard, Blue, Cow, Sheep, Goat, Vegetarian, Raw Milk, Organic, Farmhouse, Territorial, Protected Food Name, New Cheese, Washed Rind, Flavoured.
Awards: Supreme Champion, Runner-Up Supreme Champion, Best English Cheese, Best Irish Cheese, Best Scottish Cheese, Best Welsh Cheese. Best Small Producer, Best Micro Producer.