It is with great pride that I’m happy to report that the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers Association (ASCA) Cheese Showcase this weekend was the best cheese party I’ve been to since Adam Moskovitz’ acclaimed Cheesemonger Invitational in NYC!

Wow how the industry has come of age!  And wow…how many people really do love cheese! We had over 700 people attend the event held within the beautiful art deco surrounds of Ormond Hall in Melbourne.  The number of people attending is the best vote of confidence in the Australian industry that our cheesemakers (and butter maker!) could ask for. As an organiser of this event, the numbers attending, way exceeded our expectations – however while it was busy at times, I’d like to praise our cheesemakers for the way they handled the record numbers attending this event – only one cheesemaker ran out of cheese!

Those who know me well, know that I am passionate about seeing collaboration and camaraderie between members of our cheese community and it was so great to see so many cheesemakers, retailers, distributors and cheese-loving people working together at the event to achieve a greater good.  I have a good feeling about the future of our local industry.

This years focus on education was hit. Brandy the Cow and our friends from Animals on The Move – were much loved by kids and adults alike and the fresh butter made on site was some of the best I’ve tasted. The classes went down a treat, with seats filling up a good 20 minutes before the classes were due to start.

Giorgio from That’s Amore teaching us about mozzarella!

Ashley Church from Say Cheese took us on a journey into the world of affinage; Our fabulous friends from Rooftop Honey, Mat and Vanessa, paired up with Cheesemonger Anthony Femia to match local cheeses with local honey; Giorgio Linguanti from That’s Amore had the crowds salivating as he hand stretched mozzarella; and Angelina from Tea and Sympathy and yours truly, well and truly convinced the masses that tea and cheese works!  Better yet – the cheesemakers reported that the crowds in the main hall didn’t just want to gorge on free samples– they wanted to engage with them and learn about cheese and what they do!

For more information about the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers Association please check out their website and sign up to the newsletter – changes are continuing to take place to make the association a truly representative industry body!

A big thank you again to the sponsors of the event:

- Calendar Cheese Company

- Brasserie Bread

- Kurrajong Kitchen

To our Education Partners:

- Say Cheese

- Rooftop Honey

- Anthony Femia

- That’s Amore

- Tea and Sympathy

And to all those who exhibited at the event:

- Red Hill Cheese

- Milawa Cheese Company

- L’Artisan

- Yarra Valley Dairy

- Locheilan

- Woodside Cheese Wrights

- Jindi

- Jannei

- Warrnambool Cheese and Butter

- Myrtleford Butter

- That’s Amore

- Shaw River

- Ashgrove Cheese

- Boatshed Cheese

- Boosey Creek

- Kurrajong Kitchen

- Brasserie Bread

- Cheeselinks

- The Cheese Mag

I’m looking forward to the event, not just because I’ve played a heavy hand in organising it, but also because this years event has a strong focus on education with a series of classes on offer including the opportunity to match cheese with both honey and tea, learn to make cheese and even get an insight into the world of affinage!  We will also be joined by our special guest ‘Brandy’ the milking cow so you can learn where milk, cream, butter and of course cheese really come from (with all due respect to our goat, sheep and buffalo cheese producers!)

Looking forward to seeing you on the day. Here’s all you need to know:

When:25 August, 11am-4pm
Where: Ormond Hall, 557 St Kilda Road (behind the Belgian Beer Cafe, entry via Moubray Street)
How much: Only $15 at the door
What’s included: Unlimited cheese tasting, classes and demonstrations.
What else is there: Wine and beer by the glass, cheese available for purchase

Find out more and sign up for the Australian Specialist Cheesemakers Association  newsletter at www.australiancheese.org

Thank you to the wonderful sponsors: Brasserie Bread, Calendar Cheese Company and Kurrajong Kitchen.

Thanks also to our masterclass partners: Melbourne City Rooftop Honey, The Smelly Cheese Shop, Tea & Sympathy, That’s Amore! Cheese and Cheesemonger Anthony Femia.

I’ve had some fun matching teas and cheeses recently with Angelina of Tea and Sympathy. While tea may not initially seem to be the most obvious companion to cheese, they actually have a lot in common. Both tea and cheese share a special bond in that they both come primarily from a single key ingredient yet their final characteristics can vary so much to reflect where and how they were produced.

Like wine, tea contains tannins, which help produce its’ complex tastes, aromas and colours. Some teas, such as black teas or oolong are tannin rich, while others, such as white tea or green tea contain very little tannins. While we tried not to get too bogged down in pairing mumbo jumbo, there is definitely something to be said for finding the right balance between tannins and the taste/texture of the cheese. We also found some interesting combinations based on matching both like and contrasting flavours and also pairings based on similar processing methods.  But the only real way to determine if a pairing will work is to experiment and taste it!

Some of my favorite combinations so far have been:

Mimolette and Honey Oolong – We thought these were a fascinating pair – not just on the basis of flavour matching and the bright orange colour of both the tea and cheese but also given the relationship that both tea and cheese have with bugs! One of my favourite cheeses, the French Mimolette, gets its pock marked rind from cheese mites that are introduced to the cheese during ripening in order to encourage tiny holes in the rind that allow the cheese to breath. Similarly, the Taiwanese Honey Oolong, develops its natural honey flavour in part due to leafhoppers that nibble on the tea leaves.

Gorgonzola Dolce and Alishan Green  - Both Gorgonzola Dolce and Alishan Green are sweet versions of savoury products. The tea provided a refreshing balance to the beautiful creamy mouth-feel of the Gorgonzola.

Pyengana Cheddar and Alishan Autumn Oolong – Prior to tasting this combination, Angelina described the flavour of Alishan Autumn Oolong to me as being biscuity. I thought it would be interesting to see whether we could re-create a ‘cheese and crackers’ type scenario using a beautiful cloth bound cheddar – it worked!

If you are interested in finding some more great combinations and learning more about tea and cheese in general, Angelina and I are hosting a tea and cheese class on Saturday 19th May 2-3:30pm at Tea and Sympathy

Herve Mons is a third generation French ‘Affineur’, a true craftsman himself and passionate promoter of true artisan cheese making. I have mentioned ‘affinage’ in previous blog posts – a concept still relatively new in Australia but one that definitely deserves greater appreciation and understanding.

According to Mons, there are two important processes in creating cheese that greatly affect the quality of the end result; firstly, turning milk into curd and secondly, turning curd into cheese. Mons believes the first stage is the domain of the cheesemaker while the role of an affineur (or ‘refiner’) is to transform or ‘beautify’ the cheese into the final product. The cheesemaker-affineur relationship is important, as affinage will not make a bad cheese taste good, it can only make a good cheese taste better.

Mons works with 135 different producers, buying cheese young, direct from the producer and takes care of each cheese in such a way that they acquire their own unique characteristics. Different cheeses need to be nurtured in different environments in terms of humidity, temperature and ventilation so Mons has four different cellars available to age cheese within as well as a relatively new facility ‘Le Tunnel de la Collonge’ – a renovated railway tunnel that has been transformed into a cheese cellar! Each individual cheese requires its own special attention and is brushed, washed and rotated in order to bring out the best flavours possible. Mons explained that the most delicate step in refining cheeses is managing the airflow in the caves but compares the art of affinage to be a bit like cooking – a good chef will know how to adjust a recipe to be just right!

By buying cheeses young, Affineurs like Mons are able to provide more immediate cash flow to cheesemakers than if they matured cheeses themselves. From listing to Mons talk, I can see how cheesemakers are willing to trust him to develop the most out of their cheeses, both in terms of quality and their resulting sale price. In fact, Mons explained that if the proceeds from cheese sales is higher than expected, he willingly passes on gains back to the cheesemaker.  Cheese Solidarity at its finest!

The Guilde des Fromagers was founded in 1969 and aims to unite cheesemakers, cheesemongers and educators worldwide, who are dedicated to traditional methods of cheese production. There are six ranks within the Guilde:

• Garde et Juré (guard and judge)
• Prud’homme (educator)
• Maître Fromager (cheese master)
• Ambassadeur (ambassador)
• Protecteur (protector)
• Maître Honoris Caseus (honoris caseus master)

The Guilde is combined with La Confrérie de St. Uguzon organization, which recognises chefs, restaurateurs, food scientists and food journalists who have helped share knowledge of the cheese industry. There are two ranks within the Confrérie:

• Compagnon (companion)
• Compagnon d’honneur (honoris caseus companion)

Having a new Australian chapter of the Guilde and Confrérie is a big deal in a country where attention to specialty cheeses and the traditions behind them is only starting to gain traction. It demonstrates a real coming of age of our industry, and the effort of those people who have made it possible.

Interestingly, the Australian chapter sits (at lease in the short term) under the American chapter of the Guilde. While this has been done for linguistic reasons, I’m keen to see how this fosters further collaboration between our ‘new world’ countries.  Certainly in talking with the Chapter President and Ambassadeur Cathy Strange (global cheese buyer, Whole Foods Market) and Ambassadeur David Gremmels (cheesemaker, Rogue River Creamery) the desire is there to see each country’s industry grow and thrive.

Prior to this weeks induction ceremonies in both Melbourne and Sydney, only one Australian, Will Studd, was recognised by the Guilde as both a Maître Fromager and Ambassadeur of the Guilde. The new inductees came from a diverse backgrounds, demonstrating the importance not only of cheesemakers and cheesemongers but recognizing that there is an entire eco system that supports the industry.

New inductees:

L-R: Sophie Glasson, Will Studd, Marijke Ferdinands, Anthony Femia, Simon Johnson, Carla Meurs, David Gremmels, Phillipa Grogan, Bill Tzimas

In case you don’t know, I kicked off this whole cheese caper by giving my husband a home cheesemaking course as a present a few years ago. Not wanting to miss out on the action, I also enrolled myself….and the rest, as they say, is history….

A few people who know of my humble beginnings in the cheese world have been asking me about cheesemaking courses that they can give their loved ones for Christmas. As a huge advocate for greater appreciation through education, I’ve put together a list of a few local options here in Victoria, Australia that I have attended or know about:

Red Hill Cheese run great classes for aspiring home cheesemakers (it’s where I started!). The classes are set up in such a way that it’s easy to replicate some simple cheeses at home.

CheeseLinks run a bunch of courses at a number of sites around the country. The team is a wealth of knowledge and Cheeselinks carry a range of cheesemaking supplies including cultures, rennet, hoops and pretty much anything else you will need at home.

Giorgio Linguanti, cheesemaker from That’s Amore/La Latteria runs some fabulous stretched curd (mozzarella) classes (or you could just buy the I Love Mozzarella tshirt for your loved ones!)

For those of you that love your cheese but aren’t quite curd nerds that want to make it yourself, you may like to consider a personalised class from Anthony Femia, one of Australia’s best regarded cheesemongers. Anthony will also be leading the cheese and wine matching classes at the Food and Travel Co in the new year.

- Currently, the sale of raw milk is not legal in Australia.

- As for raw milk cheese it’s not quite as clear cut (pardon the pun!) Under the current Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code), Australian cheesemakers are permitted to make cheese with raw milk, provided:

1) the curd is heated to a temperature of no less than 48°C and;

2) the cheese or cheese product has a moisture content of less than 36%, after being stored at a temperature of no less than 10°C for a period of no less than 6 months from the date of processing.

What does this mean? Essentially only hard raw milk cheeses are allowed and even then, each State has its own regulations which further blurs what is and isn’t legal!

Cheeses are also allowed to be imported into Australia if they comply with the above regulations (eg Parmigiano Reggiano) and the Code also allows for importation of Emmental, Gruyere and Sbrinz raw milk cheese made according to Swiss regulations and raw milk Roquefort cheese produced according to French Ministerial Orders.

In August 2008, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) put forward Proposal P1007, a proposed approach to assess the current restrictions on the production and processing of raw milk products for sale in Australia. The Proposal’s main objective was to “enable a greater range of dairy products to be produced in, or imported into Australia, while maintaining an acceptable level of public health and safety for the Australian population”.

Three years later, in August 2011, FSANZ released its 2^nd Assessment Report regarding this Proposal.  This Assessment report recommended narrowing the scope of the Proposal to only focus on changes to the Code for hard to very-hard cheeses (referred to as Category 1 products in the Proposal) rather than also looking at changes to allow production and processing of raw milk semi-hard/soft cheeses. This means that FSANZ has only proposed very minor changes to the processing guidelines listed above. In reality, these changes will not make substantial difference to the number of raw milk cheeses that can be manufactured or imported into Australia.  A copy of the 2^nd Assessment Report can be found here.

FSANZ called for public comment on this 2^nd Assessment Report and I prepared the below submission.

FSANZ will now conduct a separate new Proposal, to be prepared at the end of 2011, to assess further amendments to the Code that would allow semi-hard or soft cheeses raw milk cheeses to be produced and/or imported.  I urge you all to keep a look out for this Proposal (you can email the Standards Management Officer at standards.management@foodstandards.gov.au with your contact details to receive direct notifications about the Proposal).

SUBMISSION REGARDING: PROPOSAL P1007, 2^nd ASSESSMENT REPORT – Primary production & processing requirements for raw milk products:

As a consumer and a proud professional working within the cheese industry, I have a genuine interest in ensuring Australia’s cheese (and more broadly dairy) industry is recognised as being world class, in quality, variety and competitiveness.

I therefore offer the following comments in response to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) 2^nd Assessment Report on Proposal P1007, which assesses the current restrictions on the production and processing of raw milk products in Australia.

Shortcomings of the Proposed Variation to Standard 4.2.4
I welcome the proposed changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Standard 4.2.4, in order to allow for processing of products that meet the definition of ‘Category 1’[1] under proposal P1007. However, I feel that FSANZ has not truly met its primary objective of  ‘enabling a greater range of dairy products to be produced in, or imported into Australia’. While the changes proposed are a small step in the right direction, they will in reality mean only minor changes to the current regulations on milk heat treatment, maturation time and moisture content, and will not foster substantial growth in the range of products produced in, or imported into Australia.

While I understand that FSANZ now plans to progress a separate new Proposal to assess processing requirements of ‘Category 2’[2] products, it must be noted that it is very disappointing that the scope of Proposal P1007 was limited to Category 1 products in the 2^nd Assessment Report.

The 1st Assessment Report, delivered in December 2009, stated its ‘preferred approach’ as:

“To amend the current dairy processing requirements in the Code to allow for the production and import of raw milk products that meet the definition of Category 1 and 2 products into Australia (Option 3).”

I am disappointed that FSANZ has not managed to make more significant progress in the assessment work carried out since the 1st Assessment Report was delivered almost two years ago.

Furthermore, by limiting the scope of Proposal P1007, FSANZ has failed to provide a framework that would enable domestic producers to compete fairly with international producers. A prime example of this inequality in regulation is Roquefort, which is allowed to be imported into Australia, yet Australian producers are unable to emulate it. I feel this is a failure of Section 18 of the FSANZ Act which calls for FSANZ to have regard to ‘the promotion of consistency between domestic and international food standards’ and ‘the desirability of an efficient and internationally competitive food industry’ when developing and varying food regulatory measures.

Satisfying Consumer Demand and Achieving International Consistency

I note that 87% of respondents to the 1^st Assessment were consumers, primarily interested in the production and purchase of raw milk cheese. This high proportion of respondents shows that there is significant support for changes to existing regulations. Over the past few years, Australian consumers have become more discerning, as the quality, range and access to food products in general has increased. The specialty cheese market has enjoyed a significant growth in demand due to this revolution in consumer interest.

My passion for specialty cheese has led me to seek out the very best cheeses I can find, both in Australia and during extensive overseas travel. I wholeheartedly believe that cheeses made from raw milk embody authentic regional characteristics and superior flavour when compared to similar cheeses made from pasteurised milk.  Australian consumers should have the right to choose from a greater variety of raw milk cheeses like those already produced overseas, provided they are of high quality and meet regulatory standards. Furthermore, our local producers should also have the ability to produce raw milk cheeses, made within regulatory guidelines, in order to meet increased local consumer demand and to increase our dairy industry’s ability to compete on the world stage.

The proposed changes to Standard 4.2.4 detailed in the 2^nd Assessment Report do not allow for consistency with the production and import regulations of many other countries. In particular Australia should look to align our regulations on this issue with the changes recently adopted in New Zealand, with whom we share other food safety standards.

The New Proposal to Focus on Category 2 Cheeses

I welcome FSANZ decision to continue to work on regulatory changes to permit further raw milk products to be produced locally and imported into Australia.  I urge FSANZ to publicly detail the studies and assessment surrounding Category 2 products that have been undertaken thus far.

I also note that only one member of the Standard Development Committee (SDC) for Proposal P1007 represented consumers, which was disproportionate to the amount of consumer interest in this issue. I call on FSANZ to include a greater consumer presence on the SDC when considering this future Proposal on Category 2 products. I would be happy to participate as a member of this Committee.  

When Murray’s Cheese owner Rob Kaufelt built his new store approximately seven years ago, there were two things he wanted to include over and above the cheeses available for sale at the Bleeker St retail counter. One was a classroom in order to make cheese education a focus, the other was the construction of  ‘caves’ under the retail store in which to mature and store cheeses at optimal conditions.  So I thought it was only fair to try and make sure I explored both the classes and the caves during my stay in New York City.

The first class I attended focused on the ‘Secret Cheeses of England’ but may have been more aptly named ‘Smuggled in a Suitcase Cheeses of England’. The class was run by Chris George of Neals Yard Dairy (UK) and Liz Thorpe, Vice President of Murrays Cheese. What made this class all the more special was that we were lucky enough to have the cheesemakers of some of the UK’s finest cheeses in the room with us including Billy Kevan of Colston Bassett Stilton and Steve Bridges from Montgomery’s Cheddar. There was also a large contingent of Murrays staff members who were just as eager to hear about cheeses that they are generally not able to buy in the USA due to the country’s 60 day pasterurisation laws or the tiny prodction scale of the cheeses on tasting.

Chris and Liz took us through our cheeses which included:

Secret Cheeses of England

Cotherstone - incredibly small production cheese made by Joan Cross of Barnard Castle, County Durham who learned cheesemaking from her mother and has been making Cothertone for approximately thirty years. When Neals Yard first started buying this cheese, Joan Cross used to make it in her kitchen – how inspiring for all of us homecheesemakers out there! Cotherstone is a semi hard cheese with a simple but long lasting, citrus flavour and a crumbly open texture.

Stawley – unpasturised goats milk cheese made with a mixture of morning and evening milk with a geotrichem rind. Caroline and Wil Atkinson who make Stawley (in Stawley near Wellington, Somerset) have managed to get their Geo rind just right. Geo is like the Pinot Noir of cheese world – hard to get right but when you do, it’s fantastsic! Caroline used to work at Neals Yard – so I guess she got to see and taste some fabulous cheeses prior to producing her own.

Innes Log – unpasturised surface ripened goats milk cheese made by Stella and Joe Bennet of Highfields Farm, Staffordshire who personally deliver their cheeses to Neals Yard Dairy.  This cheese, which was lemony and tangy had three distinct layers – a slightly ashy rind, a super creamy inner layer and a pasty centre. Innes Log is made using Kid rennet, which helps to give the flavour more depth.

St James –  An unpasturised washed rind sheeps milk cheese made by Martin Gott of Holker Farm Dairy. You would be hard pressed not to call this cheese ‘full on’ and with it’s bright, brittle, meaty rind and its highly sqashable paste, Liz’s description of this cheese as ‘stink on fat’ was pretty apt. That said, it was so well balanced it was my personal favourite cheeses on offer.

Cardo  - Made by Mary Holbrook of Sleight Farm in Somerset (who interestingly enough used to be the curator of the Archaeology Museum of Bath), Cardo is an unpasturised goats milk cheese that is one of the least goaty cheeses I’ve ever had. This may be due to the use of cardoon stamen (thistle) in place of traditional rennet or it may be the really gently nature in which Mary cuts her curds, using only her arms rather than any knives or wires. Neals Yard Dairy buy Cardo when it’s young and help it develop its savoury washed rind and floral pudding texture.

Stichelton -  Made by Joe Schneider using organic, unpasturised cows milk from Collingthwaite Farm, Nottinghamshire, Stichelton is inspired by original Stilton recipes – it can not be called Stilton however as Stilton is a recognised  ‘protected designation of origin’ (PDO) cheese, and as part of that PDO the industry decided in 1989 to only make Stilton from pasturised milk.

The name Stichelton refers to the name of the village where Stilton originated. The flavour is super sweet and slightly tangy, with a spiciness that comes from the blue mould alongside a caramellike sweetness.

Chris also provided some insight into some of the challenges cheesemakers have faced and how Neals Yard has worked with producers to ultimately develop cheeses that targets customers’ palettes and buying patterns.

Chris from Neals Yard Dairy sharing his cheese knowledge

I took a few interesting cheese facts away from this class, including that American Cheddar was traditionally coloured orange to distinguish it from British Cheddar and Epoisses, the ‘Durian’ of the West is banned from being carried on the Paris Metro because of its extremely pungent aroma!

I also discovered ‘The Mystery of the Caves’ class, hosted by Neuroscience student turned Cave Manager, Brian Ralph. I’m sure building subterranean aging cellars in the middle of New York City was no small feat but Murrays has managed to squeeze five caves into their basement of various temperature, humidity and stinkiness. Brian took us through each cave, explaining how Murrays looks after each cheese type and how he decides when cheeses are ripe for the shop floor. The class was finished off with a tasting of a selection of cheeses at various levels of maturity.

Murray’s motto is “We Know Cheese” and after visiting the cellars and attending these classes, it’s safe to say they do!

Lucy’s Whey (425 West 15th Street)

Cute shop in Chelsea Market with extremely knowledgeable staff – Amy, Rachel and Grace whose passion and knowledge of American artisanal cheeses was clearly evident through the stories they shared about their cheeses and the people who make them.

To me, Chelsea Market is a very special place. Originally the National Biscuit Company Factory, the building is now a foodie heaven with fragments of the National Biscuit heritage sprinkled throughout the complex and fabulous exposed brick and rusty beams adding extra character.

Lucy’s Whey kindly played host to an Australian and New Zealand cheese tasting while we were in town, where Holy Goat’s newest cheese, Brigit’s Well, certainly showed our American friends how good Australian cheesemakers can be! Our friend Curd Nerd brought along some New Zealand cheeses including a cardoon coagulated washed rind cheese made by Jesse Rosevear of Mahoe Cheese that really blew us all away.

Lucy’s Whey also serves delicious toasted cheese sandwiches  -  I can highly recommend the Consider Bardwell Pawlet toasted with sea salt butter!

Épicerie Boulud  (1900 Broadway at 64th)

Newly opened Épicerie Boulud is the newest addition for Daniel Boulud.

In addition to a selection of delectable pate’s, charcuterie, sandwiches, salads, pastries, breads, gelato and a fabulous oyster bar, the Épicerie offers a selection of seasonal American and French cheeses (selected seasonally by Saxelby Cheesemongers who has collaborated with renowned French affineurs La Maison Mons) to be enjoyed on the outside tables or ready to take away with you for a picnic in nearby Central Park!

I went for the cheese platter which included the following cheeses (clockwise from top to bottom)

Cheese Platter at Epicerie Boulud

Timberdoodle (Woodcock Farm, Weston, Vermont)  – a very mild washed rind cheese made from unpasturised cow and sheep milk. I like that this cheese explores seasonal flavours by using only sheep’s milk in the summer but a mix of both cow and sheep’s milk during autumn.

Brillat Saverin (Ile-de-France, France) – super creamy, buttery, luscious white mould cheese made from cows milk. While I was here to taste American cheeses, I’d be lying if I didn’t say this was my favourite cheese on the plate!

Ascutney Mountain Cheese (Cobb Hill, Hartland, Vermont) made from raw jersey cows milk, this semi hard cheese was sweet and nutty.

St Nectaire (Auvergne, France) A beautiful rinded cheese with a rich glossy interior made from raw cows milk, this cheese was quite spicy and sharp.

Pave du Nord (Normandy, France). Made from raw cows milk and coloured orange by the seed of the annatto plant, this was a hard, dry cheese with a slight earthy flavour. It’s crusty rind comes from cheese mites introduced during the aging process!

Bklyn Larder (228 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn)

This shop is what a ‘larder’ or ‘deli’ should be. Mouth watering produce presented immaculately, with knowledgeable staff to match. Bklyn Larder had such a warmth about it, that to be honest, it just made me want to eat! Not only was there cheese (and lots of it, both at the counter and maturing in the visible aging room) but also produce ranging from pickles and olives, to homemade soups, ice-cream sandwiches and peanut butters! Not to mention the range of premade meals (lasagna, oatmeal, turkey, meatloaf) to be washed down with one of many craft beers on offer.

Definitely the cheese was a highlight and manager, Tim, took us through our paces. A highlight here was Dolce Gorgonzola made by the Vagadore family near Lombardy, Italy. Not overly yeasty, yet creamy and delicious. However, it broke my heart to learn that Tim wasn’t sure how much longer the Vagadore family would be involved in cheesemaking. I recommend getting some of this tasty morsel while you can!

For those of you not familiar with Jasper Hill, it is owned by two brothers Mateo and Andy Kehler who both transitioned from roles outside the dairy industry to establish the cheesemaking operation, Jasper Hill Farm in 2003. With a big vision in mind, Andy and Mateo then took a new approach (at least in the USA) to aging cheeses that support the community of the local area by establishing the Cellars at Jasper Hill. It helps to be located in the Vermont – the state with the largest number of cheesemakers per capita in the USA.

Making Bailey Hazen Blue

While the concept of ‘Affinage’ and the prestige of ‘affineurs’ has been around for hundreds of years in Europe, we’ve had less of a culture of collaboration and community in the New World. The Cellars, 22,000 square feet in size are not only an ideal place for cheese nerds to drool within, but also a place for cheeses of varying stages of maturity to rest and reach their peak. Cheesemakers across Vermont send their ‘green’ (freshly made) cheeses to be ripened, distributed and marketed by the experts in the Cellars in order to access the burgeoning market for artisan cheese nationwide. Since setting up their business in 2003, Mateo and Andy recognized that it was these tasks- aging, marketing and distribution that gave cheesemakers the most trouble, so by sending their cheeses to the Cellars, cheesemakers are able to focus on their core strength – actually making cheese.

Constant Bliss hooped and draining

In addition to working with other local producers, cheese is still made on site using milk from their herd of 45 Ayrshire cows. During my visit I helped make Bayley Hazen Blue – a flagship Jasper Hill Cheese, made from raw milk and using traditional techniques to produce a natural rinded, fudgy textured cheese that highlights the grassy, hazelnutty flavours in the milk. Jasper Hill Farm has named all its cheeses after local identities and Bayley Hazen Blue is named after the Bayley Hazen Military Road which was a supply route for troops during the Revolutionary War and brought some of the first settlers to the land. After being made, drained and salted the 7lb wheels of Bayley Hazen are sent over to the cave men and women at the Cellars where it is pierced and regularly turned over the next 3-4 months.

Together with the gang in the cheese house (and a big thank you to Tim, Calista, Sarah and Evan for showing me the ropes!) I also flipped Constant Bliss (a slow ripened lactic curd cheese with a white bloomy rind), brined Moses Sleeper (creamy bloomy rinded cheese) and got to play with Jasper Hills newest, yet to be released seasonal cheese – not yet available for purchase but happily aging in the caves!

After sweating it out in the tropics of the cheese house, it was off to the chill of the underground caves of the Cellars . As soon as you enter the cellars you realise this is serious business – 7 specially vaulted rooms of varying humidity giving different styles of cheeses the most ideal conditions to grow, blossom and become the cheesy goodness we love!

In the cave with an aged Bailey Hazen Blue

Again, the spirit of the workers were a standout for me as the cheeses were washed, turned, rubbed, spiked and pampered with many a good tune belted out in the background.

The respect that the team at Jasper Hill bring to the craft of both cheesemaking and affinage, ensures the cheeses of the North East Kingdom are some of the finest in the land. And there is no doubt in my mind that Andy and Mateo are on to something by creating an operation that thrives on sustainability, innovation and collaboration.