CHEESEWIRE
news and views from the cheese counter
Paxton & Whitfield doubles maturing capacity with new HQ By Patrick McGuigan
Paxton & Whitfield has invested heavily in cutting-edge cheese maturing rooms as part of a move to new headquarters, which will more than double capacity for Britain’s oldest cheesemonger. The company, which has three shops, plus online and wholesale businesses, has moved to new 10,000 sq ft premises in Bourton-on-theWater, Gloucestershire, which are twice the size of its previous HQ. The building has been designed from scratch to be a state-of-the-art cheese hub, with five maturing rooms and a central office with windows
looking onto the cheeses. There is also a provision for a 5,000 sq ft expansion in the future. MD James Rutter told FFD that strong growth over the past two years had meant the company’s previous premises at the same trading estate were “creaking at the seams”. “It’s a big investment at the right time,” said Rutter. “We saw double-digit growth last year with big growth in online, corporate and wholesale. This gives us the platform to continue to build the business.” The new maturing rooms, fitted by Capital Refrigeration Services, use a static coil system rather than fans, so the cheeses are gently cooled
The state-of-the-art 10,000 sq ft premises is not far from Paxton’s previous headquarters in Gloucestershire
without drying. The hard cheese room is able to hold 450-600 truckles of cheddar, while there are also three soft cheese rooms set at different temperatures and humidities, plus a large cold store. “The maturing rooms will allow us to work more closely with cheesemakers to ensure consistency, but also to help solve their storage problems,” said Rutter. “Cheesemakers often have a glut of milk in the summer when cheese sales are lower, so we can work with them on longer ageing cheeses, which are ready for the winter months. “It will also allow us to develop new products that are unique to us and collaborate with retail and restaurant customers on bespoke products, washed in local ale or wine, for example.” Paxton & Whitfield can trace its history back to 1742. It was acquired in 2002 by entrepreneur Andrew Brownsword, who made his fortune in greetings cards and also owns hotels, including Gidleigh Park in Devon. The move represents the biggest investment in Paxton & Whitfield under Brownsword’s ownership, said Rutter. paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk
NEWS IN BRIEF
New research has found that workers at a salt mine in Austria were eating blue cheese up to 2,700 years ago – much earlier than the first blues were first thought have been created. Scientists made the discovery by analysing samples of human excrement found at the Hallstatt mine in the Alps.
St Helena A collaboration between cheesemakers Blake Bowden and Julie Cheyney of St Jude Cheese, St Helena is a new semisoft washed rind cheese with a buttery paste that is similar in style to SaintNectaire. Made with raw Montbeliarde cows’ milk on Fen Farm in Suffolk, the rind has a mottled, dusky appearance, while the interior is full of warm milky flavours and earthy notes from the rind. Cider There’s a comforting dairy sweetness to St Helena, tinged with a gently funky flavour from the rind, which lends itself beautifully to cider. Blake Bowden recommends a medium cider – the slightly sweeter profile matches up with the milky cheese, but there’s also enough body to stand up to the washed rind. Try Pilton Keeved Cider, which uses wild yeasts and a process called keeving to create a naturally sweet, lightly sparkling cider with a cleansing astringency. Toastie St Helena is a great melter, turning silky and gooey when heated. Try it molten and oozing on potatoes or as a Reblochon substitute in tartiflette. It also works well in a toastie, as demonstrated by local Bungay coffee shop Front Room, which melts the cheese with spinach and red onion jam. Smoked ham, a dab of mustard and a few sliced cornichons work equally well.
Cheesemonger Ned Palmer has followed up his best-selling book A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles with a new guide. A Cheesemonger’s Compendium of British & Irish Cheese covers 150 different cheeses. Reaseheath College in Nantwich, which has been training dairy students since 1921, celebrated 100 years of cheesemaking in October with apprentice dairy technologists developing a unique Reaseheath 100 Cheshire cheese.
THREE WAYS WITH...
A Comté-style cheese made by a Frenchman on a farm in Cork was named Supreme Champion at the 2021 Irish Cheeses Awards, organised by Cáis, the association of Irish farmhouse cheesemakers. Templegall, created by Jean-Baptiste Enjelvin (pictured) at Hegarty’s Cheese near Cork City, is made in 40kg wheels with raw cows’ milk and is aged for at least nine months.
Peanuts The bulging texture of St Helena calls for crunch when it comes to accompaniments. Pickles with bite and acidity contrast nicely, but peanuts also provide a good counterpoint to the yielding texture of the cheese. Unsalted are best, emphasising a subtle nuttiness, while also working with its creaminess. Vol.22 Issue 10 | December 2021
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