“The Keen family have been making Unpasteurised Keens Cheddar since we moved to Moorhayes Farm in 1899. Five generations later we are still here and proud to be producing world famous, award winning British Cheddar Cheese.” (Quote from http://keenscheddar.co.uk/about-us/)

Well back in May 2012 I took Helen, Emma, Luke & Mike to Keens to gain a better product knowledge on this wonderful cheese and how it is produced. It certainly left a lasting impression on us because they were very hospitable, the weather was lovely and they have such a beautiful house & gardens.

 

We then took a tour around their Farm & Farmhouse to see all the work that goes into producing an award winning & class leading cheddar. Their passion & enthusiasm for producing cheese is so infectious and I always love to see that, because I know it means an awful lot to them and to me when it comes to selling & eating.

So after our little tour we ended with a cheese grading session with the man himself George Keen.

Now between You and Me I was really quite excited at this stage because I have always wanted to witness a cheese grading. I don’t know why or where it came from but I can tick this off my cheesy ‘to do’ list. This particular cheese passed the necessary grading needed to make it in the world of cheese.

We then moved back into a room where a cheese tasting table had been set up for us to enjoy.

 

Which means we now move to my favourite part about cheese, Its taste!

Their cheddar is matured from 9-12 months which develops a lovely richness & creamy nature in the cheese. The strength is pure & flavoursome without being overpowering. It provides a complexity & flavour that is renowned with Farmhouse cheddars without the bitter edge like some. I will say that this is actually my favourite Farmhouse cheddar and that’s not me being bias but simply put when you take a bite you will taste why. This cheese would be suitable for a ploughman’s or on a biscuit, and its certainly one to consider putting on your cheeseboard with a lovely Cabernet Sauvignon, in particular a Chateau Falfas at around £14 a bottle. You can purchase Keens Cheddar from online retailers such as http://www.thecheesesociety.co.uk/cheeses/english/keens-cheddar or from Waitrose.

We finished our visit having gained lots more information in the world of cheddar production, and we all certainly learnt a lot about Keens. It was a lovely day and fun was had by all, and some tasty cheeses were tried also.

Thank you very much George Keen for allowing us the opportunity to visit your wonderful farm.

Jon