Lynda Hill has no doubt about the two proudest moments of her new career since she set up the Marlow Cheese Company in late 2016. âOne was being given a silver award at the very first show I entered, when I had only been making my cheese for around six months, by the Specialist Cheesemakers Association.
The other was seeing my little cheese on the menu at Tom Kerridgeâs Hand and Flowers restaurant in my home town of Marlow.â Both were dramatic vindications of her decision to turn away from âa lifetime of mundane office and retail jobsâ and try her hand as an artisan cheesemaker. After the conversion of the familyâs garage into a micro dairy by Lyndaâs husband James, and the installation of a 300-litre cheese vat from Germany (âmy version of a Porsche!â), Lynda was ready for the challenge.
The milk comes from Guernsey cows on Lacey Farm in Lane End, just 4 miles away; the farm has been breeding Guernseys for seven generations. The milk which the Guernsey cows produce contains three times as much omega 3 as other milks, plus beta-carotene, which is a source of vitamin A. The Marlow Cheese Company uses it to produce âCygnetâ, a soft cheese with a natural white rind, and a blue cheese variation named âBucks Blueâ. You can buy them at local farmersâ markets, food festivals and delicatessens.
With help from James (with social media, event bookings and running market stalls) and daughter Chloe (who âloves to eat the cheese but shows no interest in making itâ), Lynda is hoping to expand by moving to larger premises. âI would love to make a hard cheese and possibly a sheepâs cheese, with the correct storage facilities for ripening. Once Iâve found the right premises, I can produce a range of native Chilterns cheeses.â
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