Meet the Maker – Bath Soft Cheese
When Graham Padfield’s grandmother first started making cheddar from her small herd of Shorthorn cows in 1914, we doubt she could have imagined the award-winning operation it would inspire, less than a hundred years later. With four generations of experience to draw on, and clutching an old recipe unearthed in a grocer’s book, Graham set about making the famous local Bath cheese that was once enjoyed by Lord Nelson and that Barbury Hill customers can now order with fast and free delivery.
Surrounded by the patchwork hills of rural Somerset, Graham’s herd of Holstein Friesian cows still graze on the lush green pastures of Park Farm that fed his grandmother’s herd. This idyllic picture gives just a hint of the environmentally-friendly ethos of The Bath Soft Cheese Co, which is entirely organic and has done away with all fungicides, pesticides and artificial fertilisers. The cheese is made within 50 yards of the milking parlour, using old fashioned manual methods that have been honed and perfected to craft their award-winning cheeses. This is a British product that comes with an extra serving of smugness, manufactured by a small family-run independent business with eco-credentials to boast about.
A staple in our fridge, the award-winning Bath Soft Cheese has a long and illustrious history, even featuring in a parcel sent to Admiral Lord Nelson by his father in 1801. We like to imagine ourselves in good company as we tuck into this creamy cheese with its notes of mushroom and lemon, and the judges at the 2019 Artisan Cheese Awards agreed, awarding it Supreme Champion. Bath Soft Cheese isn’t the only award-winner in Barbury Hill’s collections, far from it. The creamy Bath Blue was awarded Supreme Champion at the World Cheese Awards in 2014, while Wyfe of Bath gained the same accolade at the International Cheese Awards in 2019. It would be near impossible to choose a favourite from these winners, but luckily with our carefully chosen collections you don’t have to!
The many lucky recipients of the Kelston Park hamper gifted over the festive season will attest to its creamy texture and complex citrus flavours while we’ll admit to being more than a little jealous of those who received a six-month subscription and can look forward to ‘Five of the Best’ arriving at their door every month. Allowing you to sample the award-winning range, ‘Four of the Best’ features one of each award-winner, though as a gift we like to send the ‘Cheese and Chutney Gift Box’ with a personalised message to let our loved ones know we’re thinking of them. Is there any gift better than a British-made cheese that supports a local business, comes with zero-airmiles, and tastes utterly indulgent? We don’t think so.
by Tor Saner, Product & Marketing
Tor ensures our platform and product selection is as good as it can be and is always on the lookout for delicious hidden gems. Tor has eaten her way around the globe and loves nothing more than a glass of chilled Rosé in the sunshine with friends.