Cote Hill Blue

Mary and Michael Davenport were tenancy farmers of the small Cote Hill Farm in Lincolnshire, with only 70 cows made up of Friesians, Red Poll  and Swiss Brown breeds.  Michael’s father set up the farm many years ago, but Michael and his wife Mary soon took over to farm the 180 acres.  They farmed this traditionally, with small fields, hedgerows, cows out at pasture and diverse grasses.  But in the early 2000s the the price of milk fell dramatically and the Davenports knew they would either have to add value to their milk or give up dairy farming.

So in 2005 they went on a short cheese-making course and decided to give cheese-making a go.  They both liked blue cheese, and also didn’t want to compete with their neighbours who make the fabulous Lincolnshire Poacher hard cheese.  Noticing there was a gap in the market for a soft blue cheese, they went to great lengths to develop what is recognised as a notoriously hard cheese to make (there was a reason for the gap in the market!)  Cote Hill Blue was the outcome – a soft, rich blue given a lovely distinctive and unusual taste by the quality of their fresh milk.

Made with fresh morning milk, they cut and hand-stir the curds gently before ladling by hand and allowing it to drain.  At 2-3 weeks old it is pierced with holes to allow the air in and the blue mould to form (Mary can’t do this bit – she is allergic to the mould spores!!)  The cheese is then matured for a further 2-3 weeks to soften until oozing…

The success of their cheese has allowed their son (Joe) to return to the family farm to work; involved in the cheese-making and farming alongside their parents.

Find out more about Cote Hill Blue in these blogs:

• The story of Cote Hill Blue from farmers to award-winning cheese-makers!
• Creating a modern British blue: Cote Hill.

What weight to buy?
100g in total of cheese per person for consumption after a meal. For comparison, 250g is similar in size to standard pack of butter.