SF-June-20

@specialityfood S ummer brings with it a host of exciting food and drink opportunities as people look forward to al fresco dining, as well as the arrival of seasonal produce like summer berries. Whilst consumers may be accustomed to seeing large supermarkets stocked with every type of cheese throughout the year, cheese is actually a seasonal product, much like fruits and vegetables. What’s more, the warmer weather often affects our palates. As the seasons change and different foods come into harvest, we tend to crave these seasonal varieties, and eating seasonally is said to be a muchmore natural and nutritious diet. Plus, it’s understandable that in the warmer months, we’d crave lighter, smoother products over heavier ones with a higher fat content. Effects of the seasons As cheese is made frommilk, it’s affected by the diet of the animals that produce it, but the weather also has a part to play. Ruth Holbrook, head of wholesale at Paxton & Whitfield, explains, “Artisan cheese is a natural product with very few ingredients, and is intrinsically linked to the countryside, the animals and the milk of the animals fromwhich it is made. Therefore the seasons have a great effect on cheesemaking and the final product. “One of the most pronounced effects is in spring when we see 26 heavy rain coupled withmore warmth from the sun – this stimulates the pastures to grow after the cold winter. Animals that have been in cover over the winter are let out into these rich green pastures to graze. The richness that the cattle get from this new grass – along with whatever small flowers and herbs might be in there – is reflected in the quality and brightness of the milk produced. Spring and summer fresh goats’ cheeses are an especially good example here: you’ll taste the richness of the milk in the final products, as well as find an abundance of varieties from May onwards.” Naturally, the diet and habits of cows, goats and sheep differ, which also has a profound impact on their cheeses. “Cows are traditionally milked year-round, but where they graze and what they eat differs,” Ruth explains. “In the winter, they’re kept under cover and are fed on a consistent winter diet. In the spring, they feed on the new spring pastures, making the milk they produce rich and flavoured with the aromas of the pasture. “With sheep, you tend to find that their winter milk has a more stable character as they’re given regulated feed. In the spring, it’s a slightly different story as the milk produced comes from sheep or goats that have grazed on spring pastures, and the food intake is not as consistent as in winter. The milk produced often varies greatly in colour, texture or flavour, depending on what the animal has eaten outside, so A CHEESE FOR THE SEASON Discover what makes cheese evolve throughout the year, and which varieties to stock during these warmer months With a truly artisan cheese, you are looking for consistency of quality rather than flavour. This is down to the expertise of the cheesemaker and the quality of the milk that the cheesemaker uses, how the cheese is worked on during its production and maturation