Cheddar cheese and pickle, the Vincent motorsickle
Slap and tickle
Woody Allen, Dali, Dimitri and Pasquale
Balabalabala and Volare
In East Lothian, we are lucky to have a good choice of both makers, and stockists of cheese.
Yester Farm Dairies award-winning artisan dairy products are made on their family farm, Yester Mains, just outside Gifford. All the milk from the farm’s 400 strong herd of traditional black and white Holstein Friesian cows is used to make Yester’s fabulous range of artisan dairy products which include Cottage Cheese, Soft Cheese, Mozzarella and Akkawi.
On Haddington High Street, you will find The Cheese Lady shop, which offers an array of fine farmhouse and artisan cheeses which are inspired by the travels and expertise of founder Svetlana, along with a selection of gifts and condiments.
If you’re in North Berwick on a Friday evening, you will find Cheesee Peasee’s French Cheese Van parked in front of Locketts Bros wine shop from 5 pm – 7 pm. (At other times, you can buy a selection of their cheese in Locketts).
A good place to learn more about Scotland’s artisan cheesemakers and retailers is the Scottish Cheese Trail. Many of the places listed welcome visitors and are in wonderful rural locations such as Connage Highland Dairy situated on a family farm at Ardersier where you can watch award-winning organic cheese being made while having lunch in their cafe.
One product you won’t find on the Scottish Cheese Trail is Scottish Buffalo Mozzarella but hopefully, that is about to change thanks to Fife farmer Steve Mitchell (who you may know from This Farming Life) who has launched the Buffalo Farm Founders Club. If you want a pizza the action (sorry, I couldn’t resist), visit The Buffalo Farm website, but hurry, the investment opportunity ends on 25th October 2019.
I J Mellis is truly an Edinburgh institution with stores in the capital’s Stockbridge, Morningside and Old Town along with Glasgow and St Andrew’s shops. The enterprising cheesemongers have created a Cheese Lounge at the rear of their Morningside store which has been incredibly successful.
Also hoping for success is Mull of Kintyre Milk Supply Cooperative, which comprises 27 farmers who hope to buy Campbeltown Creamery with the help of a crowdfunding campaign. Watch their amazing video and read more about their story here.
The Subscription Box sector has boomed in recent years with more than half of 25-35 year olds having signed up to receive a monthly surprise package of anything from beauty products and books to tampons and teabags. Cheese Toasties by post were less popular (but sold over 100,000 kits). There are, however, several cheese subscription boxes currently on offer including:
The Cheese Society
Vallebona
Pong
Fine Cheese
It seems we just can’t get enough of cheese! 2019 saw the rise of the ‘Cheaster Egg‘ and the Cheese Advent Calendar (or should that be ‘Chadvent Calendar’?) was such a hit that Aldi announced their return this year.
Have you ever thought about making your own cheese? It was a love of cheese and natural curiosity that prompted Ailsa Proverb to start The Big Cheese Making Kit. She has sold over 150,000 kits and was awarded an MBE for services to the food industry in East Lothian.