Good Afternoon Cheesy1’s,

Last week I received an amazing parcel full of cheeses from Butlers Farmhouse Cheese  with a couple of sizes of Blacksticks Blue but what I was really looking forward to tasting was the Button Mill (White Wrapped). Butlers Farmhouse cheese has been based at Wilson Fields Farm at Inglewhite since 1932 when Richard & Annie Butler purchased Lower Barker Farm in Inglewhite, Lancashire. They started the fundamentals of a dairy herd and Cheesemaking started in the farmhouse kitchen. A bedroom was even used as a cheese store! In 1956 Richard & Annie’s sons: Peter, Tom, Robert and Dick started their own farms around Inglewhite. Peter farmed at Blacksticks Farm and restarted cheese making there. The farm later gave its name to Butlers famous Blacksticks Blue cheese. In 1969 Tom and his wife Jean took over Lower Barker Farm. Gillian started making cheese since the age of 9 and It is Gillian and her husband Colin who own and run Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses today. In 1996 Butler’s introduced  their cheeses to the supermarkets and by 1998 opened a new facility in Longridge for cutting and packing the cheese. In 2014 Blacksticks Blue celebrated its 10th birthday and is currently perfected to the point of challenging continental varieties & winning awards at major cheese shows. But now for the cheese!

I will start with Blacksticks Blue which is a soft, rich, smooth & creamy blue cheese which has been on the market for a number of years now. It is well-known for being A unique soft blue-veined cheese with a distinctive colour. Its flavour delivery is well-rounded & balanced  but not as bitter as a Stilton  because it delivers a softer more intrinsically complex flavour. The cheese works perfect with sweet fruit or with a crisp sparkling wine perfect at a dinner party as a starter or on a cheese board. For a blue cheese it isn’t overly salty either and as suggested on the packet it works perfectly on a crisp salad, grilled over mushrooms or on top of a steak. Pair it, cook it or crumble it and it will always balance its flavour well and is actually fairly versatile for a blue cheese. Blacksticks Blue will appeal to hardcore blue cheese lovers & those that aren’t so sure but want to try it for the first time. Just click the picture of Blacksticks Blue above to take you to their online shop to buy some today to try for yourself. Keep your eyes & taste buds peeled for a relaunch in 2017.

The moment has come to proudly unveil Butlers latest cheese called Button Mill. This is a brand new cheese that Butlers have been working on & trialling with Chef’s & Restaurateurs across the country and as James Clapham Commercial Manager said to me “We’re very close to launching our new soft white cheese, ‘Button Mill’. Softly spoken, it’s classy, delicate and indulgent, but delivers with a punch, a complex character and good depth of flavour. (It’s the Judy Dench of cheeses!) We use our own secret cocktail of cultures and it’s a cheese which relies on the skill of the master cheesemaker to ‘parent’ it through it’s 12 day make cycle to ensure it’s ready to face the world.”  I have now had the privilege of trying this cheese and in one word ‘gorgeous’. It’s quite simply one of the best soft cheeses I have tried from the UK that could challenge a French equivalent. It may not have that mushroomy/ earthy edge that a strong brie or camembert has but with its oozing golden paste more than makes up for that.

When you let Button Mill get to room temperature and you first put it in your mouth it’s a pure cheese dream. Its soft, liquid paste just fills the palate with delight and this has instantly become one of my favourite cheeses. I thought originally that the size was a little small to share but believe you & me you will not want to share it! I don’t know of sizes that the cheese will be released in but if you opt for the smallest you will want to get one per guest. Button Mill will be launching in Booths, Wholesalers & Independents first with the aim of Mid October 2016. That means you may be able to get some for your Christmas cheese board and for the first time ever I’m recommending this as a Cheesy1 Must Try because I don’t think you should miss out. As soon as I know it’s for sale I will update the page but if you are desperate to get your hands on some then contact Butlers cheese directly here.

I must end this post by congratulating & thanking Butlers cheese for sending me some fantastic cheese and for all the work they have put into making Button Mill and I’m sure it will be a success.

Cheesy1