Cheesemaking at Sharpham
Cheesemaking at Sharpham is founded on a few simple guiding principles, which are as important now as they were in the 1970s. Making is done by hand using traditional methods, using only the best local ingredients. Firmly rooted in the Devon landscape, it’s very much a family affair.
Our fresh milk arrives early from our local farmers. It’s quality tested, chilled in one of large tanks, then at around 6.00am it’s pumped gently through our heat treatment plant and into a vat in the Making Room.
In the vat the warm fresh milk has a starter culture added which slightly sours or ripens it. The combination of cultures we use has a big influence on the flavour and texture of the finished cheese.
In the vat the warm fresh milk has a starter culture added which slightly sours or ripens it. The combination of cultures we use has a big influence on the flavour and texture of the finished cheese.
Next we stir in rennet which coagulates the milk to form a jelly-like consistency known as junket. Rennet is a complex set of enzymes which would traditionally have come from a young animal’s stomach, but we use a vegetarian version.
We also add penicillium candidum, which is a cultured strain of natural white mould used in soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert, which also ripens the cheese and forms the bloomy white rind. During the coagulation process our cheesemakers monitor temperature and acidity and use their skill to decide when the junket is ready to be cut.
We also add penicillium candidum, which is a cultured strain of natural white mould used in soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert, which also ripens the cheese and forms the bloomy white rind. During the coagulation process our cheesemakers monitor temperature and acidity and use their skill to decide when the junket is ready to be cut.
Cutting with special knives begins the separation of the solid curds and the liquid whey. It is a delicate skill which requires different sized knives and more or less cutting depending on the cheese variety. For example our Rustic and Ticklemore curds are cut into smaller pieces to release more whey, so creating their firmer texture. Our soft cheeses such as Sharpham Brie and Elmhirst are cut less, so they retain more moisture.
With Savour and Washbourne we drain off some of the whey and add scalding water. This slightly cooks the curds, giving a smooth, more elastic texture to the finished cheese. These are called ‘washed curd’ cheeses.
Once the excess whey has been removed and the curd is cut and ready, salt and any flavourings such as fresh garlic and chives are added and hand mixed.
Once the excess whey has been removed and the curd is cut and ready, salt and any flavourings such as fresh garlic and chives are added and hand mixed.
Curds are then packed into moulds by hand by our cheesemaking team, or very carefully ladled in for fragile cheese such as Cremet. Over the next four hours the new cheeses are turned regularly which is a skilled and physically demanding job. Turning releases more whey; and helps to achieve a consistent shape and control acidity. The cheese is left in its moulds to cool and rest overnight.
Next morning the cheeses are moved into the Brining Room where they’re either rubbed with dry salt or submerged in a large bath of saltwater solution for around an hour. Salt is a natural preservative and prevents undesirable moulds growing on the surface, but it also complements and enhances the flavour. From here they are transferred to one of our two Ripening Rooms.
Our soft and our semi-hard cheeses need to be ripened, or matured, in separate environments because they require different temperatures and humidity levels. The semi-hard varieties, Ticklemore, Washbourne, Savour and the Rustics, spend around four weeks in their Ripening Room where they are turned and rubbed weekly by hand to ensure they achieve a consistent shape and mould-coat.
In the soft cheese Ripening Room our Sharpham Brie, Elmhirst and Cremet are turned every day for the first week and then every other day. After about two weeks, once a consistent white mould coat has formed, they are ready to be wrapped in the Wrapping and Packing Area.
Soft cheeses are hand wrapped in special breathable paper, then boxed and moved into the Finished Cheese Store for a further 2-3 weeks’ maturation. This store stays at 4°C which allows the flavours in the soft cheese to fully develop. Once ready for dispatch, orders are assembled and moved to the Dispatch Store for refrigerated distribution.
Our semi-hard cheeses are generally hand wrapped to order, and once boxed they’re also wheeled into our Dispatch Store.
Our semi-hard cheeses are generally hand wrapped to order, and once boxed they’re also wheeled into our Dispatch Store.
We track cheese through a batch code system. Each cheese is labelled with a ‘Lot Code’ so we have full traceability. A sample from each batch is also kept and micro-biologically tested. This is good practice and is part of our SALSA accreditation requirements. SALSA is a national food safety standard for artisan food producers and stands for Safe And Local Supplier Accreditation.