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Mar 13, 2019 • 7 min read
Cheesemaking has been an integral part of the rural and cultural landscape in the Yorkshire Dales for centuries. The art has been passed down through generations, evolving from medieval monks to modern dairy farmers. Today, traditional cheesemaking skills, once thought lost, are being revived through passionate small businesses eager to showcase the delicious flavors offered by Yorkshire’s picturesque hills and lush hay meadows.
‘Gromit, that’s it! Cheese! We’ll go somewhere where there’s cheese!’
When Britain’s Aardman Animations introduced the charming character with a strong Northern accent and a love for Wensleydale cheese, it significantly boosted the recognition of one of Yorkshire’s most cherished local products. However, as Wallace & Gromit’s fame spread globally, the Wensleydale Creamery found itself in a precarious situation. In April 1992, following an Academy Award nomination for Wallace & Gromit, the last creamery producing Wensleydale cheese faced closure, with plans to move production to Lancashire, Yorkshire’s rival region. Protests erupted in Hawes, where the creamery had been operational since 1897. Fortunately, within six months, local ex-managers and businessmen bought it out, transforming it into a community enterprise. Today, it stands as one of the Yorkshire Dales’ most popular attractions, drawing 300,000 visitors in 2018. The creamery features a museum (with displays dedicated to Wallace & Gromit), a café serving Wensleydale-based dishes, cheesemaking demonstrations, and a shop filled with tasting options.
‘When I visited as a child, it was just one room where you could watch the factory and taste the cheese,’ recalls Saffron, a 23-year-old cheesemaking demonstrator at the creamery. Originally from Essex, she has spent family holidays in the Dales and made a permanent move here a year ago.
During her time at the creamery, Saffron has observed a growing interest in cheesemaking among visitors. ‘It’s remarkable how many more people are getting involved with cheesemaking at home. Many young visitors ask me about the process and intricacies involved,’ she shares.
Return to the farmhouse
The resurgence of small-scale cheesemaking is evident in the area. Artisan shops are popping up, and the Yorkshire Dales Cheese Festival is set to celebrate its third year on 14-15 September 2019. The main events will take place at the Wensleydale Creamery, with supplementary activities across the national park, including open farms, tasting competitions, and guided whey walks.
Near Settle, positioned at the southwestern edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the Courtyard Dairy serves as a cheesemonger and café within a cluster of charming old stone buildings. Here, visitors can engage in cheesemaking courses, and there’s a small on-site museum detailing the rich history of caseiculture (the formal term for cheesemaking) in Yorkshire. The primary mission is to support individual farms that still produce raw-milk cheese on their premises.
‘A century ago, there could have been around 200 farms producing Wensleydale cheese, and importantly, each farm’s product would have been distinct,’ remarks Andy Swinscoe, a co-owner who has contributed to the revival of British farmhouse cheesemaking, which saw a decline after the Second World War. ‘Currently, I offer 30 raw-milk traditional cheeses, and nearly all 27 of them have only been reintroduced since 2005.’
What the monks did for Yorkshire
Cheesemaking traditions in Yorkshire trace back centuries. It is believed that these techniques spread from the Romans across Europe, but the original Wensleydale cheese recipe was brought to the Dales by French Cistercian monks who settled near Aysgarth and founded Jervaulx Abbey in 1156 AD.
‘Monks introduced various elements from France, including this treasured cheese recipe, which evolved into what we now know as Wensleydale cheese,’ explains Anna Burdon, whose family currently manages Jervaulx Abbey. ‘What we recognize as crumbly Wensleydale today was initially different, resembling a blue cheese more closely,’ she elaborates.
Today, Jervaulx Abbey is a lovely, sprawling ruin with a quaint tearoom, nestled among meadows that were once grazed by the monks’ sheep. Historically, Wensleydale cheese was made with ewes’ milk rather than cows’ milk. The sheep also provided wool, and these essential products were sold in local markets to sustain the monastery, alongside other iconic Yorkshire staples like beer.
Evolution of Wensleydale
Following the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII, the art of cheesemaking transitioned to the wives of Yorkshire farmers. The techniques persisted in their daily milking routines for many years. Up until the 1930s, Wensleydale cheese was primarily produced on farms, characterized by its moist, soft texture with blue veins, making it spreadable like butter.
This September, the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes plans to launch an exhibition titled Dairy Days, delving into the profound farming and cheesemaking heritage of Yorkshire. It was during World War II that farmhouse cheese production experienced a drastic decline. Cheese rationing was enforced until 1954, allowing only specific types of cheese, including Cheddar, Cheshire, Dunlop (a Scottish variety), Leicester, and Wensleydale to be legally produced. Efficiency became crucial, leading to a government-coordinated recipe that altered the fundamental character of these cheeses.
‘We lost a lot during the Second World War,’ explains Andy. ‘Producers who continued at the farmhouse level were forced to adhere to government regulations that significantly altered how Wensleydale was traditionally made. The result was a standardized approach that produced cheeses with an acidic, sharp flavor, leading to minimal differences among varieties such as Wensleydale, Cheshire, and crumbly Lancashire.
The new cheese vanguard
Within the cozy confines of Andy’s limestone-walled deli, one can find a remarkable variety of cheeses including Fellstone, Yorkshire parmesan, Moorland Monster, Hafod Cheddar, and Kirkham’s Lancashire. These creations represent a growing trend of British farmhouse cheeses that authentically reflect their geographical roots.
Andy appreciates the distinct characteristics of British farmhouse cheeses, which arise from the interplay of terroir and method. ‘In the early 1900s, farmers followed a broadly regional recipe, yet each added their own unique touches. Variances in equipment, livestock, and pasture all contributed to the outcome,’ he describes. ‘The protected hay meadows of the Yorkshire Dales are rich with diversity, housing approximately 30 different species of grass and herbs that ultimately contribute to the flavor profile of our cheeses.’
The local cheesemaking community mirrors this diversity; small-scale operations abound. Gillian, a radiography lecturer at Bradford University, crafts goat cheese from her eight pedigree Anglo-Nubian goats located near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. In Leeds, Italian cheesemaker Mario produces Yorkshire pecorino, parmesan, and blue cheeses. Tom and Clare of Whin Yeats Farm create a Wensleydale-style cheese called Fellstone, aged for three months to yield a nutty, complex flavor; it pairs wonderfully with rich fruit cake, a beloved Yorkshire staple, in the Courtyard Dairy’s café. Meanwhile, Sam, currently a deli staff member, is on the verge of starting his own cheesemaking venture, borrowing sheep from a neighboring farm and utilizing equipment loaned by Andy.
Through Andy’s advocacy for local cheesemakers, inspired by a well-worn notebook housing traditional cheesemaking notes from his great grandmother, he strives to reconnect with the rich history of Yorkshire cheesemaking. ‘The aim is to rediscover and share the traditional recipes and methods so that visitors can experience authentic local flavors when they come to the Dales,’ he says. While the monks of Jervaulx may not recognize today’s Wensleydale or even Fellstone, they would certainly appreciate the enduring cheesemaking legacy they set in motion.
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