Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

CHEESECAM GOES GLOBAL

They said it would be the most boring broadcast ever, but a webcam pointed at a West Country Farmhouse Cheddar cheese in the West Country has become a worldwide viewing phenomenon.

The idea, originally hatched by a group of dairy farmers over a pint, has become cult viewing, attracting an audience of over 400,000 visitors from such far flung places as India, Iceland and New Zealand.

The patience of regular visitors to www.cheddarvision.tv, who have referred to the ‘action’ as something akin to watching paint dry, is about to be rewarded. After three months something will actually happen! In a climax comparable to finding out what happens in TV’s Lost, the 1st quality check of the cheese will take place next week.

As many as 50,000 people are expected to tune in for this momentous event which will take place on a dairy farm in Somerset on the March 29th.

Born on the farm on the 19th December last year, the handmade Cheddar, currently nameless, has had over 400,000 visits, though in reality it has only met one real person, its creator - cheesemaker Tom Calver.

“The interest in the cheese is incredible. I’m part of the Westcountry Farmhouse Cheesemakers co-operative and we often meet up to chew the cud. On one of these occasions we batted around an idea about filming a cheese to let the whole world appreciate just how long it takes to create the perfect-tasting West Country Farmhouse Cheddar. We never thought for a moment that the website would become this popular. The cheese has nearly 500 myspace friends and has even been invited to a wedding,” says Tom.

Cheese grading normally happens four times during a cheese’s 12 month maturing period and this is no different for the world-famous star of cheddarvision.tv. By pulling out a core of cheese and sniffing it, the farmer understands how it’s maturing. After the grading, tasting notes will be added to the site for all to savour. To mark the occasion people are invited to name the cheese by logging on to www.cheddarvision.tv

If you’ve yet to become a loyal fan, don’t worry, you’ll soon be able to catch up on all the ‘action’. To mark the big day West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers are releasing a time-lapse film. The movie, featured on YouTube, will reveal the 1st three months maturation compressed into a few minutes. The group is said to be looking forward to the letter from the Oscar Nomination Committee in due course.

Philip Crawford, chairman of the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers group, explains: “we are very proud of our cheese. The West Country Farmhouse Cheddar featured is one of just 14 UK products to carry the prestigious Protected Designation of Origin status, ranking it alongside world-famous food and drink treasures such as Champagne, Parma Ham and Cognac.

“We thought a few die-hard artisan cheese lovers might find the site of interest, but the response has been overwhelming. It just goes to show that people know a good thing when they see it…and that there can’t be much else on the telly at the moment.”

-Ends-

For further info, delicious recipes and award-winning photography contact:

Sam Purnell or Kat Forse at Bray Leino PR
Tel: 0117 973 1173
Email: spurnell@brayleino.co.uk
VISIT: www.farmhousecheesemakers.com

Notes for editors:

Top Ten West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers facts:

1.Britons consume nearly 360,000 tonnes of Cheddar-style cheese every year. Of this, 15,000 tonnes is the real thing – West Country Farmhouse Cheddar.

2.Folklore has it that Cheddar cheese was discovered by accident when a milkmaid left a pail of milk in the nearby Cheddar Gorge caves. When she returned some time later, the milkmaid found that the milk had turned into a delicious new substance and Cheddar cheese was born.

3.The real thing, West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is only made from milk from West Country cows - in order to qualify for its Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status it has to be. The taste of the milk can vary hugely from herd to herd which is why all the Cheddars in the West Country range have a distinct flavour and a character of their own.

4.Did you know that 26% of all milk produced in the UK is used in cheese production?

5.All West Country Farmhouse Cheddars are produced using artisan methods and it takes approximately one gallon of milk to produce a pound of cheese.

6.All our cheeses are matured for at least nine months before they are considered good enough to eat. Some are matured for up to 18 months.

7.Each cheese is carefully matured and monitored for colour, texture, smell and taste. Only after the final grading does the premium cheese achieve the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers label.

8. King Henry II declared Cheddar cheese to be the best in Britain and the ‘Great Roll of the Pipe’ records that in 1170 the King purchased more than 10,000 pounds of the delicacy at a cost of one farthing per pound.

9.By far the most popular cheese with the UK consumer, ‘Cheddar’ in all its forms is bought regularly by 94% of UK households and accounts for 55% of the market.

10.In days gone by cheese rind was used to soothe babies while they were teething.

This project is supported by the Milk Development Council

About West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers:

All the Cheddars produced by members of the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers have been awarded Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, which sets them aside from all other Cheddar’s as authentic and handmade on the farm.

The West Country Farmhouse range, available nationwide at Waitrose and Booth’s includes:

Brue Valley - Vintage Cheddar
Denhay - Mature Cheddar
Keen’s – Unpasteurised Extra Mature Cheddar
Parkham – Mature Cheddar
Westcombe – Unpasteurised Mature Cheddar
Green’s – Double Gloucester
Belton – Red Leicester

About Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status

Any food of PDO status must undergo an ongoing process of rigorous auditing. Cheese can only be called ‘West Country Farmhouse Cheddar’ if:

•It is made using milk from local herds reared and milked in the counties of Somerset, Dorset, Devon or Cornwall. This ensures that the cheese has a particular texture and flavour.

•And of course, real Cheddar made to PDO guidelines contains no colouring, no flavouring and no preservatives.

•It is made and cut in these same four counties to traditional methods. These methods include the cheese being made by hand. Once the whey has been drained off the curd is repeatedly turned by hand to ensure that all the moisture is drained away - the famous process known as ‘cheddaring’.

•The cheese must be made and matured on the farm and must be aged for at least 9 months. Authentic farmhouse Cheddar doesn’t leave the farm from the moment the milk arrives from the parlour until it’s ready to cut and pack. This means the Cheddar remains in the care of the farmer who can ensure that it is produced and stored to the very highest standards required of a premium cheese.

In order to retain PDO status all West Country Farmhouse cheesemakers must also adhere to the very highest standards of food production as set out in statutes such as the Food Safety Act, Food Safety Regulations, Dairy Products Regulations and Food Labelling Regulations.

The PDO symbol is the consumer’s guarantee of quality and confirmation of the care and attention to detail that West Country Farmhouse cheesemakers invest in each and every cheese they make.

West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is a member of an elite group of premium foods. There are currently only 14 other products in Britain which have been awarded PDO status including: Cornish Clotted Cream, Jersey Royal Potatoes and Orkney Beef.

For further details on PDO and the Protected Food Names scheme visit: http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/foodname/pfood01.htm

About the Milk Development Council

The Milk Development Council (MDC) is a non-departmental public body established by the Agriculture Ministers following the re-organisation of the milk industry at the end of 1994.

MDC is funded by a statutory levy on milk sold off farms in GB. It is run by a Council of 11 persons appointed by the Ministers, supported by staff based at the Cirencester office and in the field.

MDC’s aim is to provide the opportunities, insights and expertise that help dairy farmers improve their profits; its activities focus on three distinct areas to achieve this:

•the opportunities that can add value to, increase demand for or arrest the decline of raw milk – the focus of our Market Development team

•the insight and knowledge that can increase power and aid better decision-making – the focus of our Datum economics team

•the efficiency, expertise and business-focus with which milk can be produced – the remit of our Farm Management team