The Kit
The Cheese Maker
Chairman of the Board
The big cheese at Ford Farm, MD Mike Pullin, tells
us how to make the ultimate festive cheeseboard
What cheeses would you have on the perfect cheeseboard?
If you want a balance of flavour, I think a cheddar would be a number one, a blue cheese of some sort, and one of my favourites
is a product that you can get from October until April called a Vacherin Mont d’Or, which is a soft cheese in a pine box. It has
an amazing flavour and it’s quite versatile, too, in that you can cook it and turn it into a dip. For a fourth one, I’d probably put
something like a Wensleydale with cranberries.
What should people be looking for when buying cheese?
People go for the brands they like, but don’t ever be afraid to try something new. There are a few West Country Farmhouse
Cheddars carrying the PDO (Protected Designated Origin) – that have quite the unique flavour so I’d say that’s what to look
out for. Our Coastal Cheddar is called the hidden gem and it has this sweet but crunchy taste to it. It’s been very popular in the
US, while we’ve had a large surge in sales of the Cave-Aged Cheddar – which we store in Wookey Hole – in the French market.
Goat’s cheese – look at some of the smaller makers around. There are some very good small producers making great cheese
with very clean flavours. We make Wookey Hole Cave-Aged Goat. People who don’t like goat’s cheese, I always say try ours
because it doesn’t have a particularly goaty flavour. It’s quite clean and has a very nice, nutty aftertaste to it.
What’s the best way to store cheese and serve cheese?
Cheese is like a sponge, so wherever you store it, it’ll pick up every flavour around it, so leave it in its original wrapper and stick
it in a plastic box. Rewrap it once opened. Some people say ‘my cheese didn’t taste great the next day’ – well, that’s because you
didn’t pack it very well and it’s picked up the flavour of whatever’s in the fridge. Keep it in the fridge and take it out an hour
before you eat to let it sit at room temperature – that way you’ll get perfect flavours.
What would you buy for a cheese lover at Christmas?
At Christmas time, everyone likes to get hold of the 2kg truckles wrapped in cloth – the flavour is great. Well-made cheese
boards are great. A lot of us have still got those old, round cheeseboards that were made 60 years ago. There are a lot of those
still around and if you can get a board made of one piece of wood, rather than two stuck together, I think that’s a great gift.
Ford Farm Dairy have been producing cheese using traditional methods from their West Dorset farm for over
40 years. Check out their range and also many recipes for using leftover cheese at fordfarm.com.
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