CHEESEMAKERS ARE ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Mary Davenport - turning Cote Hill Blue cheeses in the farm dairy

It’s official - Lincolnshire is home to one of the world’s best cheeses after one of Cote Hill Cheese’s specialities worked its magic on judges from across the globe in an international competition!

Creamy Cote Hill Blue, which was entered into two classes at the World Cheese Awards, scooped a Super Gold accolade and was named one of the World’s 62 Best Cheeses, at the hotly-contested event at London’s Olympia.

And a sister product, Cote Hill Lindum – which has a rind washed in Tom Wood’s ale - also scooped a silver award.

Cote Hill Blue was the first cheese produced by the family-run business from Osgodby, near Market Rasen, which is headed by Michael and Mary Davenport, who have more recently been joined by one of their four sons, Joe.

Cote Hill is no stranger to cheesemaking competitions, and its latest success follows a double win this summer when Cote Hill Lindum won gold and was also named Best New Cheese in the British Cheese Awards at the Royal Bath & West Show.

While that was great news – The World Cheese Awards, organised by The Guild of Fine Food and staged at the BBC Good Food Show – are even more prestigious and on a much bigger scale!

Farmer Michael Davenport checking on the Cote Hill herd of dairy cattle

Mary Davenport said: “The British Cheese Awards are restricted to entries from Great Britain. At the World Awards, we pitted out blue cheese against about 2,700 others from 33 countries, including America, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico, France, Croatia, Austria and Italy, so it was a real thrill to get a Super Gold certificate.

“More than 250 expert judges from 26 countries travelled to the event and they had to pick the medal winners and the 62 Super Golds from the thousands of entries.”

Michael Davenport said: “Cote Hill Blue is the first cheese we made and launched it commercially in 2005. It is the most popular and our best-seller. We know it has a distinctive quality and we call it our signature cheese, but the Super Gold award raises its profile even further.”

Typically, the Davenports’ have little time to reflect on their phenomenal success, because their latest accolade has come at a time when they are busy meeting rising demand in the run-up to Christmas.

Shoppers can buy their favourite Cote Hill cheeses at farmers’ markets in Lincoln, Sleaford and Brigg, at farm shops and in selected retail outlets. Cote Hill Cheese also supplies selected restaurants.

Michael and Mary Davenport are proud to call themselves artisan cheesemakers, and produce their range of products using the creamy morning milk from their 70-strong herd of Friesian and Red Poll dairy herd.