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Meet the member:
St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company

Introducing Jane Stewart ~ St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company

Tell us about your family farm and how the family work together?

My husband, Robert, was brought up on our family farm here above Anstruther – his father moved here in the 1930s.  I was brought up on a dairy farm near Crieff so I, too, have lifelong farming connections.  Today, we are joined by sons Ben and Adam who partner with us to run the business.  We milk 200 home bred Friesian Holstein cows, we make cheese using a proportion of that milk and we also grow wheat, barley and oilseed rape. We employ a small team to help us and all family members are actively involved in the day to day work and running of the whole business.

Who or what inspired you to diversify into Cheesemaking?

We decided to try cheesemaking for one very simple reason – the price we were receiving for the raw milk produced on the farm was (at that time) less than the cost of producing it, and so we wanted to do something proactive to help ourselves and ‘adding value’ seemed a good option.  Robert and I love cheese and we felt it was important to make something that we genuinely liked ourselves and so cheese was the obvious option rather than ice cream, yoghurt or whatever else.  I was taught the basics of cheesemaking by a farmer in Wales called Leon Downey, so I suppose he was my inspiration – along with many other dairy farmers in the UK who have diversified successfully and who welcomed us onto their farms in the early days to show us what they did.  Most farmhouse cheesemakers in the UK are members of The Specialist Cheesemakers Association and through this organisation we have gained advice, guidance, inspiration (and new friends!) over the years.

Walk us through the making of a traditional farmhouse cheese.

Cheese is basically preserved milk – in days gone by, most farmers had a ‘house cow’ and any spare milk not required for daily consumption was often made into cheese (by the farmer’s wife! – some things have not changed!).  Thus, ‘farmhouse’ cheese was  – and still is – defined as being cheese made on the farm using milk from that farm’s own herd.

Firstly, you warm the milk, then add ‘starter’ culture ( friendly bacteria which begin the process of converting the lactose to lactic acid and contribute to the flavour and aroma of the final cheese). Rennet is then used to ‘clot’ the milk into a curd.  The curd is cut which releases the whey (milk is 90% water and so the final cheese curd will be 10% of the milk volume used and the whey – which is really a ‘waste’ product of cheesemaking – is the other 90%). The curds and whey are stirred and heated to achieve the desired size, consistency and temperature (according to recipe) before the whey is drained off to leave the curd. The curd is then cut and piled before milling, salting and packing in moulds ready to press. After pressing, the cheese is matured under carefully controlled temperature and humidity conditions until it is deemed ready to sell.  Timings, temperatures  and methods at  all of these stages will vary according to the type of cheese being made – but the initial ingredients of milk, culture, rennet and salt (along with cleanliness, attention to detail and passion for the job) – remain the same for any cheese.

What makes your cheese unique compared to other artisanal cheeses?

Our cheese is made using raw milk from our own herd of home bred cows and this gives it distinct and unique characteristics.  Cheese – and raw milk cheese in particular – is influenced by many elements including cow diet, climate on the farm/in the area where the cheese is produced, maturation conditions in the Store, etc. There is no other traditional raw milk farmhouse cheese produced in Fife – this was the case when we started in 2008, and it remains the case today.  Our cheese is a taste of the east of Fife where the sea meets the land and the lush grass is fanned by a salty breeze.

How do you ensure the quality and consistency of your products?

The fact that we are a family business with traceability at every stage – from calf born on the farm, through to cow producing milk for the cheese – is hugely helpful.  You can make jokes about the farmer being married to the cheesemaker but it helps! It means that there is a deep understanding of the daily challenges faced in both roles. Communication regarding these challenges, along with attention to detail at every stage – both on farm and at the cheesemaking – is essential.

What role does sustainability play in your business practices?

Traditional farming is largely sustainable – our animals are fed a balanced diet which is comprised of many ingredients but a large proportion of these ingredients are grown on the farm (eg. grass, barley). Dung from the animals (and whey from the cheesemaking) is spread back on the land to give fertility to the soil. Our cheese is made and matured yards from where the cows are milked – there are zero food miles involved.

What’s your most memorable success or milestone you've achieved?

We don’t export a lot of cheese, but I think that some of the export opportunities we have had are very memorable – for example taking part in the Slow Food bi- annual event in Turin; visiting a customer in Boston to promote our cheese; exporting to Australia.  It is important to enjoy the’ journey’ of your business, wherever it takes you, and make the most of opportunities when they arise because most of the time sheer hard work and determination is required!

What are your main goals and aspirations for the company in the next 5 years?

We have recently invested in both farm and cheese to modernise and also to allow us to increase our production of cheese.  Our main aim is to continue to grow our business – to introduce our products to more customers (both at home and abroad) and increase sales.

You’ve won a host of awards over the years, which meant the most to you and why?

In 2018 our St Andrews Farmhouse Cheddar won ‘Best Dairy Product in Scotland’ and was runner up  ‘Best Product in Scotland’ at the Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards – we were very proud to have our cheese recognised by the industry in this way.

How has being part of the Fife food and drink community benefited your business?

It is a pleasure and a privilege to be part of the thriving food and drink community in Fife – there are so many food producers with fantastic products and so many hospitality businesses who are delighted and proud to showcase local products as part of their menu offerings.  UK and international visitors flock to the area for the scenery, the seaside, the golf and other sports and – I believe now also for the food.  The reputation of Fife as a ‘foodie’ destination is growing all the time and we all have a part to play in that.

Where can retailers and consumers buy your cheeses?

Our cheese is available throughout the UK – not in any supermarkets, but through delicatessens, cheesemongers, farm shops and specialist retailers.
We sell direct to the consumer at Bowhouse and Perth Markets and although we decided not to reopen our coffee shop after Covid, choosing instead to use the space to expand the dairy, we do still welcome visitors to the dairy to taste & buy our cheese direct from the farm (weekdays only).

We also cut cheese to order for cheese wedding cakes, which can be ordered direct from the farm.

What’s your favourite cheese from your own range, and how do you like to enjoy it?

Anster is actually my favourite.  It has a crumbly white curd, with a good level of citrus acidity but more of a mushroomy taste next to the natural rind.  It is delicious eaten with a Fisher & Donaldson oatcake, some Trotters Hot Pepper Jelly and washed down with a glass of Kingsbarns Doocot Whisky!

www.standrewscheese.co.uk
Email: info@standrewscheese.co.uk
Tel: 01333 312580