Mr Mark Robertson
Northumberland Cheese Company Ltd
The Cheese Farm - Green Lane - Seaton Burn - Northumberland NE13 6BZ
Tel: 01670 789798 - Fax: 01670 789644
Email: enquiries@Northumberland-cheese.co.uk
Northumberland County Council - Trading Standards - Address: Loansdean - Morpeth
Northumberland NE61 2AP
Tel: 01670 534585 - Fax: 01670 534590
Chevington Cheese is made from the milk of Jersey Cows, which produce top quality, rich, creamy milk. The Cheese is processed and prepared locally. It is circular in shape and has a white and grey, dry mottled, rough hand crafted exterior appearance, which offers an earthy, mushroom taste and cream flavour. Internally, it has a smooth, slightly soft interior, which is a deep buttery yellow in colour, and has a creamy buttery, young, slightly acidic flavour. The cheese is rounded in shape, and comes in 1.75kg and 0.375 weights. The composition of the cheese - % per 100g is as follows:
- Nitrogen 3
- Protein 18.7
- Fat 29.5
- Moisture 54.1
- Ash 4.2
Produced in the County of Northumberland in England.
The cheese is made from the milk of Jersey Cows. The Northumberland Cheese Company's current source is Wheelbirks Farm, although milk from other Jersey herds within the designated area could be used if necessary. Wheelbirks farm is home to the oldest Jersey herd in Northumberland, bred locally, the cows are grazed on old land pasture, exposed only to a minimum of artificial fertilizers. Winter foodstuffs are provided from the farm itself. The milk produced from the herd is top quality, rich and creamy.
The milk is transported to the dairy at the cheese producer's premises at Blagdon, Northumberland. Here the milk is heated between 62.5°c and 64°c and pasteurised for 30 minutes. It is then cooled to 33°c. A starter culture, EZAL DVI, is then added, stirred and left for 60 minutes. Rennet is added and left between 30 to 40 minutes to coagulate. The firm curd is
initially cut by hand into large blocks. The curd is then stirred for 20 minutes. Scalding is then applied to firm the curd. Curd is moulded by hand scooping the curd in the whey with the mould net and allowed to drain under its own weight. The following day the cheese is brined for 6 hours. Penicillin is then added to the outside of the cheese and the cheese is then allowed to dry. The cheese is then transferred to the mould room to allow surface mould growth and to mature turning frequently for between 6 "“ 8 weeks.
Chevington Cheese was first produced and marketed in 1895 by Mr John W Annett in Chevington Northumberland. After deciding to switch from dairy farming to cheese production he came up with Chevington cheese. The cheese was a success amongst his friends, encouraged
by this Mr Annett took up cheese production with the help of his family. However, just a few years after being introduced to the market the death of Mr Annett in 1903 resulted in the end of line for Chevington Cheese. The Cheese was revived in 2001 by Mr Robertson, who runs the
Northumberland Cheese Company, he was able to track down the original recipe created by Mr Annett, at the Northumberland Records Office, and has since re launched Chevington Cheese.
