Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival

Our first visit to this event. 

Lots of great cheese to try. Not to mention excellent cider, apple brandy, pies, cakes etc.

You could probably spend the day nibbling from stall to stall getting slightly drunk :)

Having said that we ended up spending a small fortune on cheese. 

My two favourites were Westcombe Cheddar (below left), which was probably the scummiest cheddar I have ever eaten. The other was the cheese shown right, which is equivalent to a mature gouda and just as delicious. Sorry I have forgotten the name, but they have it on the cheese counter at Waitrose.

The festival was a great reminder of the excellent produce in this country. You can find as wide a range of delicious cheeses here in the UK, as you can if France or Italy. Cheddar is one of the world’s great cheeses and it is only the sad plastic mild varieties that give it a bad name. Although the same could be said for the generic version of any other great cheese. Normal plastic gouda v mature gouda. 

Ok you have to pay a bit more for this kind of cheese, but you savour it with a good local cider or beer and some local bread.

For a full list of this year’s exhibitors please click here and don't forget next years event the 11th Cheese Festival which will take place on 11th & 12th September 2010.