THE new year could not have got off to a better start for a dale business that has seen one of its products named among the best cheeses in England, and been shortlisted for two major awards.
Teesdale Cheesemakers’ Doris cheese has been listed in the top 100 in England by acclaimed cheese and wine expert Steve Parker, author of British Cheese on Toast.
The cheese will feature in his latest book 100 Artisan English Cheeses and Wines.
Teesdale Cheesemakers has also been shortlisted in the Teesdale Business Awards as well as named finalist in the taste category of the North East Tourism Awards.
Owners Jonathan and Alison Raper say the recognition is a welcome boost.
Mrs Raper added: “We are pretty new to this [cheesemaking] and learning as we go along, so this makes you feel like you are on the right track.”
She said it is also “a pat on the back” of their customers who had supported them throughout their time in business.
Mr Raper said the cheese expert had visited their dairy ,near Copley, after noticing the business on the internet. He added: “He was quite impressed we were able to get so many cheeses of such good quality in such a small set up.”
The Doris cheese is named for Mr Raper’s grandmother, who is a stalwart of the family’s dairy herd of Holstein and Friesian cattle at nearby Mulberry Farm, which produces the milk for the cheese.
The family is in its fifth generation of farming at Mulberry. Mrs Raper said: “It was grandma’s chicken money that bought the first cows.”
The beasts are purely grass fed and are put out to pasture from the spring to the early autumn. The couple say the quality of the milk they produce is due to this.
The Doris cheese was named to mark the matriarch’s 92nd birthday.
This year also sees the launch of Teesdale Cheesemakers’ tenth variety of cheese.
Copley Crumble is a typical dale-style crumble cheese with a rind and has a sharp taste.
Mrs Raper said: “This is so new we don’t even have a label for it yet.”
To learn more about the top 100 cheeses in England visit steveparkercheeseandwine.com.
