Cheshire Cheese Revival Campaign To Be Launched at Nantwich Food Festival

A campaign to revitalise the fortunes of Cheshire cheese - once the nation's favourite - is being launched this weekend at the Nantwich Food and Drink Festival (Sept 28-30)

Three of the region's only six remaining producers of traditional crumbly Cheshire are joining forces in a bid to restore it to its place of honour on cheese boards around the country.

The campaign, which has adopted the logo of a winking Cheshire cat with a wry grin, is being backed by British dairy farmers through the Milk Development Council.

Cheshire cheese is Britain's oldest named cheese and during the 19th century it was produced by hundreds of farmers throughout Cheshire and North Shropshire for shipment to London and the rest of the country.

It was first produced for the Romans at the garrison city of Chester and even has a mentioned the Doomesday Book.

But after the Second World War production slumped as milk was used for consumption in towns and cities and Cheshire cheesegradually lost its number-one spot to an "interloper" - cheddar.

“Now we are determined to give Cheshire cheese a kick start and see it restored to its rightful place among the truly great named cheeses,” said Mr Justin Beckett, of Belton Cheese just over the Cheshire border at Whitchurch.

“We are now one of only six producers of traditional Cheshire cheese and, as a result, there has even been a decline in the market within our own heartland.”

To reverse the trend, Belton Cheese – who have produced traditional Cheshire cheese on their farm for three generations - has now teamed up with Joseph Heler Ltd of Nantwich and The Cheese Company of Malpas to launch the Cheshire Cheese revival project

“Our collective aim is to raise the profile of Cheshire cheese,”, said Mr Beckett, whose father, John, was among the first to restart Cheshire cheese manufacture at Belton after the war.

Award-winning Belton Cheese was started by Justin’s grandfather, Stanley Beckett, who left the family textile business in Manchester to work at Belton as a farm pupil, progressing up the ladder to become manager and eventually owner.

Its organic Cheshire cheese – one of eight different cheeses produced on the farm - is made today using the same special starter cultures and recipe it has used over three generations.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Justin Beckett, Managing Director, Belton Cheese, Belton Farm, Whitchurch, Shropshire. Tel: 01948 662125. Mobile: 07799 882691 Email: info@beltoncheese.co.uk

Brian Gresty, General Manager, Belton Cheese. Tel: 01948 662125. Email: info@beltoncheese.co.uk or

Peter Harris, Libra Communications, Lostock Gralam, Northwich. Tel: 01606 334942. Mobile: 07854 831845 Email: harris@libracom.u-net.com