Darling Howe- Great Taste Awards 3 Stars

 

We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded three stars in the Great Taste awards for our Darling Howe soft cheese. Less than 1% of all the food products judged are awarded with a three star rating and a large panel of expert judges have deemed the Torpenhow cheese to be worthy of their highest level of recognition on a national level.  Mark Lee who together with his wife Jenny runs the business explained, “This is a huge achievement for our small family farm. We have always seen the great taste stars as a mark of excellence, so to be recognised with three stars is a great testament to the quality of our milk, to Jenny who developed the cheese as well as Kiera our new cheese maker who works very hard ensuring each small cheese is perfect.”

The Darling Howe cheese (named after a field behind the farmhouse) is made on farm using the 100% pasture fed,  organic milk produced by the family herd of cross bred Jersey/Friesian/Norwegian Red cows. It is a pristine white rinded soft cheese often described as a British-style farmhouse Brie. “We have been making the Darling Howe for nearly 2 years and often get great feedback from customers at local farmers markets and in the shops we sell to,” said Jenny. “The subtle flavour reflects the season and how our cows are grazing. The Herd is grazing our paddocks for over 300 days of the year and is a key component of our regenerative farming cycle. Not only are the cows benefiting the soil and increasing the biodiversity with their mob grazing, their milk is so amazing it allows us to produce the most luxurious creamy cheeses.”

 

The judging panel agreed with this assessment providing the Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy team with the feed back below:

“A very pretty little cheese with its gentle white bloom and attractive ridges to finish. An easy cut reveals a gorgeous gooey paste by the rind and a deeply creamy centre. This indulgent and luxurious texture surprises the palate. Rich, creamy, diary freshness is warm and soft with honest meadow character contrasting with bold mushroom umami notes and a touch of acidity to add further dimension. This cheese is so beautifully balanced and delightfully characterful. This would just need a crispy French baguette and a robust red wine for pure heaven.”

“A comforting looking cheese, with a lovely even mould and pleasantly firm. A lovely softness around the edge delivers a really fulfilling grassiness on the palate. The expectation of lots of creaminess is replaced by a confident depth of flavour that delivers great length. The balance through the soft outer edge to the firmer centre is brilliant, and delivers a profile that is long and reassuring. Very nice indeed.”

“An attractively plump and oozy soft white moulded cheese, with visible dimpling and a luxuriously silken creamy core. Fresh, grassy and vibrant on the nose with a complexity of lactic and umami richness all the way through to the enduringly moreish finish. Stellar stuff!”

“A neat and fresh looking cheese. Perfectly ripe throughout. There is a graininess to the mould while the centre reminded us of clotted cream. A dairy butteriness pervades the aroma and mouth feel. A slight citrus note and grassy feel add to the flavour. A delicate and clean cheese that is incredibly moreish.”

We are celebrating this success with a special three star offer; Great Taste Awards Darling Howe Offer