What
is company name?
Northumberland Cheese
Company
What
is your line of business?
Artisan
cheese makers
How
and why the company begin?
Since 1984
Mark Robertson has been making farmhouse cheeses in the heart of
Northumberland. The Northumberland Cheese story began in the Rede Valley, where
Mark had a small flock of sheep from which he produced a ewe’s milk cheese;
Redesdale. It was such a success with the locals that our range expanded to
include fine cow’s and goat’s milk cheeses too, and the accolades began to pour
in.
In 1996 we
moved to a 19th Century granary on the Blagdon Estate, South Northumberland.
Here we have the capabilities to marry traditional cheese making craftsmanship
with modern best practices. Our knowledge and expertise in the cheese industry
has led to a full range of 16 artisan cheeses including our newest innovation;
Blagdon Blue.
We have been
providing brides with alternative and bespoke cheese wedding towers since about
2010 when they first came in to fashion. We love this diversification as it is
a great way to showcase our handcrafted cheese and they look great garnished
with fruit and flowers.
Are
you married? If so tell us a little about your wedding….
No
but I’m sure there will be cheese everywhere when I do!
Why
do brides come to you?
We offer such a unique product with a really
friendly service. When brides first speak to us on the phone or email we invite
them to book a wedding cake consultation. This is a chance to come out to the
farm and see the cheese being made whilst sitting and having a coffee upstairs.
We give you a chance to try all of our cheeses and advise on good combinations
(cheese to suit all palates at the wedding party). The look on customer’s faces
when we bring out an 8kg cheese is priceless; it really is a big wheel of
cheese!
What
is your favourite design and why?
It
looks really good when you alternate between cellar ripened cheese and the
flavoured cow’s cheese. E.g. a big Nettle cheese at the bottom so you can see
the flecks of herb, then a Brinkburn goat’s cheese with its mouldy rustic
surface, then a chilli with flecks of vibrant red and a truckle of Blagdon Blue
on the top to complete the tower with a blue mould. It’s not just about having
your favourite cheese; it has to look good too!
We
have seen some great designs for the finished cheese cake. As we supply the
cheese undressed it is up to the brides to get creative with how they decorate.
Fresh fruit, flowers and ribbons all look really good. And don’t forget the
personalised sugar mice on the top.
What
is the most popular item you supply and why?
Our best-selling cheese is Nettle. It is a
really creamy cow’s milk cheese blended with dried stinging Nettles. It is such
an easy crowd pleaser most brides have a nettle cheese at some point in the tower!
Where
do you get your inspiration from?
Our main inspiration comes from
our customers to be honest. We have some really unusual requests before that we
would never think of ourselves but are always willing to be flexible and give
anything a go. My favourites include making cheese in a heart shaped mould for
one customer and also cellar ripening a Nettle cheese.
What is in store for you in 2013/14
Hopefully
continue providing brides with bespoke cheese wedding cakes!
Who would be your dream
client, and what sort of design would you envisage for them?
Wallace and Wendolene (of of
Wallace and Gromit!)
What
would be your top tips for brides when searching for a supplier in your
industry?
I know we are biased but, it
is much better to buy your cheese directly from the artisan producers or a
local cheesemonger. Some supermarkets have started selling cheese cakes that
are so generic; you don’t get any choice with sizes or cheese and they
generally taste quite bland. When you come in to see us you can taste our range
and chose the sizes. We make all of the cheese to your personal specification
so it is truly unique.
Tell
us something super interesting about you or your business that we wouldn’t
already know…?
Did
you know that in 2011 we made 40.8 tons of Northumberland Cheeses (the
equivalent of about 7 elephants!) Pretty impressive as it is all handmade by
our 2 cheesemakers.
Where
are you based and where can you supply?
We are on the Blagdon
Estate, South Northumberland (just 10miles North of Newcastle). We can supply
the whole of main land UK and can also deliver your cheese directly to the
hotel or wedding venue. www.northumberlandcheese.co.uk for
more info!
How
can I get in touch to discuss my requirements or place an order?
Please
call if you would like to book a wedding consultancy to try our farmhouse
cheese and discuss your wedding requirements. 01670 789 798 extension 1- ask
for Heather or email heather@northumberland-cheese.co.uk. If you are too far
away to pop in for a coffee please call for a phone consultation and we will
sort something out for you.
Why
do you like to work with Simply Bows and Chair Covers?
They cover a great range of
wedding products and unique accessories that we love to see and read about!
