Tour of Denhay’s cheese house tickles nostrils
WE’VE LOST touch with nature. We have no idea where our food comes from. What does our farmer down the road get up to? As I buy Denhay bacon and their Farmhouse Cheddar ends up on my cheese plate, I went to check out the Streatfeilds’ estate when they – and many other farmers around the country – opened their doors to the public for Open Farm Sunday.
Here is a farm that has managed to play the supermarket game and keep a good taste.
Not an easy task. I am curious.
We were greeted by a grandma, under an umbrella, explaining what we had to do, and raising her voice when it came to the washing of hands if we touched animals; with children in tow, a wise reminder.
First Amanda (Mrs Denhay) took us into a large breeze-block room. I was waiting to see how the award-winning cheese is made. Spotting a couple of small plastic bowls with whey and curd on a low table, I realised we were not going to go anywhere near the real action. Slightly disappointed I listened intently all the same whilst my son was leaning fiercely on my shoulder, sure sign of boredom looming.
How can you expect cheese to always taste the same?
The last time I was shown how cheese is crafted was in the Alps by a farmer who could fit his farm in to one of Denhay’s barns. He explained that cows eat grass or hay depending on the time of year so his cheese tastes according to his cows’ diet. I asked him if Europe’s never-ending and somewhat limiting rules bothered or hindered him, as English farmers and food makers seem to blame Brussels for a lot of things. No was his reply. Supermarkets do. How can you expect cheese to always taste the same?
Problem is, many customers do. Or so supermarkets tell us, and let’s face it, who doesn’t shop there? Which is why the Denhays of this world have had to find a solution. Cows have to eat a perfectly balanced diet of nutrients from the farm, the UK or even abroad to get the right milk. This is then turned into rindless square cheese blocks perfect for supermarket shelves.
The milking parlour is a perfectly choreographed affair. The slurry pit is not an eyesore at the front of the farm but hidden away from eyes and noses. It’s still a farm with a hole in the ceiling of the barn for all that stinky methane gas. Shame they can’t process it somehow.
Like butter in need of a wash
Let’s get back to the real business of cheese. Thankfully, so as not to lose tradition and taste, the family still crafts the iconic 27kg round smelly cylinder that looks like butter in need of a wash when it is maturing, and a bit like a perfectly-formed yet mouldy-looking stone with ash on it when it is ready to savour.
This of course takes
1) time – up to 18 months – turning once a day for fear of explosion (you think I’m kidding?),
2) space (these things are huge) and
3) know-how.
One thick rind giving away taste and texture to its heart, never twice the same.
Did my leaning 10-year-old learn anything and enjoy the couple of hours? Well, he loved the tractor ride, he enjoyed feeding a calf and next time he hears curd and whey, he may have a mental image of an opaque liquid and he will, hopefully, remember the sweet buttery smell of curd. He does recall the stinky smell of the cave-temperature fridge which tickled my nostrils. So that’s better than when we arrived.
Yes, farmers who open to the public have an agenda. I did buy some Denhay Farmhouse Cheddar. I do anyway. But at least they explained clearly to quite a lot of us what they do, answered questions, had the whole farm spick and span, offered us refreshments and more.
Yes, they produce huge quantities compared to my Alpine one-man band. Thing is, his cheese is delectable and unique but can be a bit of a gamble. It’s a question of choice, for customer and farmer.
Off to New Zealand
Amanda and George’s son told me he’s off to New Zealand for a year to see how they do things on the other side of the world. He was explaining yield and almost got carried away with Holstein versus other breeds that are becoming popular in the milking world. He realised his audience might get a bit lost, smiled and stopped.
It’ll be interesting to see if Denhay cows get to spend more time in the fields in a few years time.
I’m glad I’m not making that decision.
All I want is a tasty cheese at a price I can afford.
Preferably in wedges although rectangles often have to do.