Out & About Winter 2019

Out&About feature

blue cheese so I thought I would try to make some myself. And that is how Barkham Blue was born. Within six months it won best new cheese at the World Cheese Awards (2003). “Then we started a making a ewe’s milk cheese, called Loddon Blewe [not currently available] and we just kept winning awards with that as well. We were really lucky.” Two Hoots cheese are a family company with three current members of staff – Sandy, Andy and Sandy’s sister Lesley. “My dad, he’s 85, pops in to help when he can, and my daughter is currently on maternity leave. So we really are a family-run business.” Even with such a small team, they produce as many as 600 Barkham Blue cheeses a week – which is likely to increase as the Christmas rush starts. At Christmas they are also planning to make some ‘Swinley’ cheese, which is a soft, spreadable cheese. Being a small outfit has not affected the popularity of Barkham Blue, which has been winning awards consistently since 2003 when it won Best Newcomer at the World Cheese Awards. In November 2019, Two Hoots won Bronze, Gold and Super Gold in the World Cheese Awards. They have also won gold in the British Cheese Awards every year for the past six years. A true winner. Barkham Blue can be found at Cheese Etc., Pangbourne, and is one of their best sellers – so it is best to order it in advance.

Two Hoots Cheese, Barkham T wo Hoots Cheese is the producer of the multi-award-winning Barkham Blue cheese and is owned by Sandy and Andy Rose. Sandy was brought up on a dairy farm near Hook, where her father kept Jersey and Guernsey cows. She explained; “When I met my husband we ended up with a small holding, where we ran a mobile farm. “Our children were young and we used to take the animals around schools. It was an educational thing and the children could milk the goats and hold a chicken.” Sandy’s cousin owns Village Maid Cheese in Riseley, and at busy times she would often go and help out. “My cousin Ann then encouraged me to make some cheese for ourselves using milk from our goats. " We really liked blue cheese so I thought I would try to make some myself. And that is how Barkham Blue was born." “So we had a go – we were hanging the cheese in the shower and added chives and garlic to it.” The family moved to Barkham 20 years ago and they were producing their cheese from a converted double garage. The Two Hoots Cheese Company started properly in 2003 when they started to make blue cheese. Sandy explained: “We really liked

Cheese Etc. 17 Reading Road, Pangbourne – 0118 984 3323 www.cheese-etc.co.uk Norton and Yarrow – 07720 314709 – www.nortonandyarrow.co.uk Nettlebed Creamery High Street, Nettlebed, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 5DA 01491 642127 – www.nettlebedcreamery.com Two Hoots Cheese School Road, Barkham, RG41 4TP – 0118 976 0401 www.twohootscheese.co.uk Sommelier Romain Bourger suggests what to drink with your cheese on p54

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O&A WINTER 2019