Its name deriving from the French word ‘fondre’ (to melt), this dish is made throughout the Alps but is quintessentially a Swiss dish. It is said to have originated in the 18th century to use up old, drier, hard bits of cheese and stale bread. Fondue works best with continental-style hard cheeses that are supple and springy such as Gruyère, Comté or Beaufort. In the UK you could replace these with an Ogleshield/Summerfield mix. You don’t need a fondue pot and prongs, although it’s useful – a saucepan and forks will suffice! Ingredients (serves 2) 300g grated cheese 1 teaspoon cornflour 150ml white wine Crusty bread cut into chunks Cornichons/pickled onions to serve Optional: garlic, kirsch [cherry brandy] Method Mix the cornflour and kirsch through the grated cheese. Crush the garlic clove and rub around the inside of the fondue pan. Add the wine to the fondue pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Gradually add the cheese and cornflour mix, stirring constantly to avoid it forming lumps. Once all the cheese has melted, sprinkle with ground pepper (and nutmeg, to taste) then serve in the fondue pot Dip chunks of bread in the cheese until coated, then enjoy! Making…

Tartiflette was only invented in the 1980s! Amidst declining Reblochon cheese sales, the ‘Syndicat of Reblochon’ developed and marketed this dish, adapting a local peasant recipe ‘Péla’ for melted cheese, bacon and potatoes. Ingredients (per person) 250g thickly-sliced potatoes 100g diced smoked bacon 60ml crème fraiche 150g Reblochon 1 small chopped onion 1 garlic clove Method Par-boil the potatoes for 15 minutes, then drain. Melt a knob of butter in a pan and fry the bacon with the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. In a baking dish, layer the onion and bacon mix alternatively with the potatoes, dolloping the crème fraiche on the top. Place the cheese, ideally cut in half through the middle, on the very top, rind side up so the rind can brown and crisp as it bakes. Bake until potatoes are cooked (15-20 minutes at 200°C). Can’t get hold of Reblochon? If you cannot find Reblochon or you want to try a British alternative cheese each of the below will work to replace it, all have a similar methodology in making and maturing to Reblochon so will work if you replace it ‘like for like’ in the Tartiflette recipe: Rollright, Winslade, Ogleshield, Ashcombe….

Beth and Sam at Ambry Bakery, located on-site at The Courtyard Dairy, have delved into the archives and created their delicious take on a Yorkshire curd tart – the recipe’s below if you want to have a go – or you can pop in their bakery and simply buy one! Ingredients (makes one big or 12 small tarts) Sweet shortcrust pastry: 150g plain flour 2 tbsp icing sugar 75g cold butter, cut into cubes 1 egg yolk ½ tsp lemon juice Cold water Rhubarb, hibiscus and rose jam: 500g Rhubarb 6 hibiscus flowers 25g butter 15g honey 80g caster sugar ½ tsp rosewater (or to taste) Filling: 50g caster sugar 225g fresh curd cheese (unsalted) 2 eggs 2 egg yolks Zest of 1 lemon 25g melted butter Pinch of salt 50g currants Pinch of nutmeg Method To make the pastry: mix the flour and icing sugar together, then add the butter, rubbing it in until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. (You could do this in a food mixer) . Make a well in the centre of the fmix.  Pour in the egg and lemon juice and work the liquid into the flour, adding enough cold water until it comes together.  When it…

1,000 feet up in the Whinlatter Forest above Keswick in the northern Lake District, ‘The Cottage in the Wood’ is a unique Michelin starred restaurant with rooms owned by jack & Beth bond. Jack uses The Courtyard Dairy Cheese throughout their menu and his creative cooking, boutique-style rooms, friendly service and a warm welcome are all combined in this stunning Old Coaching Inn, perched on the hillside to make a very special place to visit. This cheese, leek and potato filo pie is one Jack’s favourite ways to cook with cheese, and a great way of using Fen Farm’s Baron Bigod. Ingredients (serves six) 150g Baron Bigod cheese 500g Filo pastry 250g Unsalted butter 20g Garlic 100g Leeks 50g Celery 200g Chestnut mushrooms 300g Potatoes 150g Spinach 50g Onion 20g English mustard 30g Cream cheese 10g Parsley (finely chopped) Salt & pepper Method: pie filling Finely slice garlic, onion, mushrooms and potatoes. On a low heat, sweat them in a lightly oiled pan. Keep the ingredients moving, so they turn translucent, then to a light, golden brown. Once brown, slice the celery and leeks, and add these to the pan. Turn down the heat, we don’t want to ‘colour’ these…

A merging of two classic dishes: Alpine Tartiflette and the Worcestershire* Fidgety Pie.  This is the Kingstone Dairy team’s favourite way to cook their iconic cheeses, bringing together the inspiration for their cheeses and their three-counties home: Gloucestershire (cheese), Herefordshire (cider) and Worcestershire.  Kingstone Dairy recommend using their Yarlington cheese – based on the Reblochon but washed in cider from Herefordshire – but it works equally well with Rollright and Evenlode. *The origin of ‘Fidget’ or ‘Fidgety’ Pie claims to hail from Shropshire, Derbyshire and Worcestershire depending on who you ask!  They all include onion, apple and pork in various combinations. Ingredients 3 x Charlotte potatoes, peeled and cut into halves 200g x lardons (or cut strips of streaky bacon) 1 x large onion sliced thinly 2 x garlic cloves sliced thinly 1 x sprig of sage 1 x large cooking apple – peeled, cored and sliced 1 x bottle of Oliver’s Fine Cider Yarlington Mill Cider 2021 1 x 250g Yarlington Cheese (Rollright and Evenlode work too) 1 x dash of olive oil Method Parboil the potatoes for 10- 5 minutes in well-salted, boiling water until tender Fry off the onion and garlic in olive oil in a cast…

Join Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks and award-winning cheesemonger The Courtyard Dairy as they guide you through Cheddar, why it cooks so well, what to look for in selecting a cheese to melt and cook with, and to test out some new recipes with this old classic ingredient. Browse The Courtyard Dairy’s range of traditional farmhouse Cheddars here > Find out more fascinating facts about cheese – simply sign up to The Courtyard Dairy monthly newsletter for regular  exciting offers and interesting info. from the cheese-world.  Sign up here.

The best-selling dish at the Courtyard Dairy Café, here is Kathy’s tried and tested recipe. Makes four slices Ingredients 50g butter 50g flour 1 teaspoon mustard powder 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Good splash of Hendersons Relish or Worcestershire sauce 200ml Dark Beer or stout 450g strong Cheddar such as Hafod 4 thick slices of toast Method Melt the butter and mix in the flour to form a paste.  Cook on a low heat and slowly add the beer to make a thick sauce-like consistency. Add the mustard powder, cayenne and Worcestershire sauce. Grate in the cheese and melt in the pan. Spread thickly over the toast and place under a hot grill until browned. Any leftover mix can be placed in fridge to enjoy within a week.

This dish became a much-loved favourite at The Courtyard Dairy Café. Serves 2 Ingredients 200g grated Cheddar (for best results use a good strong Cheddar like St Andrew’s) 200ml beer (a lighter style like lager works best) 1 tablespoon of cornflour Method Stir the cornflour through the grated Cheddar. In a non-stick frying pan add the cheese and cornflour mix. Over a low heat stir in the beer and continue to mix until the mixture starts to thicken. Once bubbling, transfer the mix to a fondue pot or a really hot dish. Be careful – as the mixture cools it will start to harden. Serve with tortilla chips. To make it extra special: Serve with a fresh tomato salsa spooned over the top (dice tomatoes, add finely chopped red pepper and red onion, mix with a splash of olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, chopped coriander leaves and a crushed half clove of raw garlic). Add crispy sliced chorizo – cut chorizo into small segments and cook on a medium heat in frying pan (with a touch of oil) until crispy, then leave to cool on a piece of kitchen towel (this can be done in advance).

Kathy’s recipe from the Courtyard Dairy Café’s excellent cheese scones – if in doubt, add more cheese! Makes approx 12 scones Ingredients 450g self-raising flour, with 1 teaspoon of baking powder added 200g butter Pinch of salt 250g good quality Cheddar (grated) – for best results try Hafod. Pinch Mustard powder (optional, to taste) Teaspoon of cayenne pepper 2 large eggs 150ml milk Method Rub the flour and butter together into a breadcrumb texture. Add the salt and mustard powder, if using, and the grated Cheddar. Mix the eggs and milk together and add to your dry mix. Add carefully – you may not need the whole of the egg mix, or you may need to add an extra splash of milk, to form a good dough texture. Roll out the dough to half an inch thickness, then cut into rounds. Brush each round with a little milk. Sprinkle with a little more cheese if you wish. Place on a greased baking tray and cook for 12 to 15 minutes at 180C/medium oven. These are lovely served with butter and an extra slice of cheese!