The Swaledale Cheese Family

When Dave, our Quality Control Manager, came running in the other day to tell me I’d won at the Great Taste Awards I was speechless (and it’s not often that happens). For years people have been taking the Mickey out of my green wellies and chenille jumper combo and I thought, at last I’ve proved them all wrong. Alas, it turns out though I’m not being recognised for my Richmond chique – even better – we’ve scooped three golds including the coveted three star gold at foods equivalent to the Oscars! Not bad considering the awards attracted a record number of entries this year.

You know me, I’m not one for going all ‘Gwyneth Paltrow’, but this really is a proud achievement for us all. Along with all the other awards we’ve bagged this year it’s a true reflection of everyone’s hard work during what have been difficult times. Anyway, enough of the soppy stuff, if I’m not careful they’ll be asking for a pay rise. What’s now more important is what the hell am I going to wear to the official awards ceremony in Kensington on September 8^th? I’m thinking a little off the shoulder cheesecloth number perhaps? All suggestions welcome, oh, and while you’re at it, if anyone knows where we can get a bigger mantelpiece let me know – we’re running out of room!  

Can’t talk long, as I mentioned last time, I’m up to my neck in it setting up the new Swaledale Cheese Shop. When I said to my son Sam that I needed some retail therapy this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. If you’re reading this kids, I’d be happy with some vouchers for Harvey Nich’s next time.

I’ve just got time to tell you some great news about the Yorkshire Show and no, unfortunately, it’s not that they’ve decided it’s going to be free entry from now on nor that they’re laying on a complimentary helicopter service so that you don’t have to sit in a boiling hot car for six hours just to get there. For us the news is even better than that; we were awarded two 2^nd places, a 3^rd place and a 4^th place. We must be on a roll because there is also a whisper that we’re in line for something at the British Cheese Awards but everything is very hush, hush until the official announcement in September. Don’t worry, you know me, as soon as I know I’ll be shouting it from the rooftops.

We’re also exhibiting a little further afield than Harrogate and will be found in Ireland in early October at ‘Shop’ - an event run by the Guild of Fine Foods. If you’re visiting be sure to call by and see me and Louise and if you bump into us in town afterwards before 9pm mine’s a Black Velvet (and that will be the Champagne version and not the White Lighting version before you ask. . .I am the first lady of cheese after all.) Any time after that if you’d just be good enough to scoop me into a taxi and help me remember where I’m staying that would be much appreciated!

As you can probably guess, I’m bursting with excitement at the moment! We’ve finally got a date for when our cheese will be back on the market…

1^st May!

So put that date in your diary, and from that day on you can buy all the Swaledale you like. Feels very odd that after all the struggles and trials of the last few months, we’ve only got another two weeks until we’re officially back on those shop shelves. I’m so grateful to all our loyal customers and suppliers for being patient with us, and especially for all the support they’ve given over the last few months. I’m not sure we’d still be here if it wasn’t for those wonderful words of kindness and encouragement!

Anyway, back to the cheese… With only 16 days (I really AM that excited that I’ve resorted to counting the days) until D-Day, or should I say Cheese Day, we’re currently putting the final touches to the first batches of Swaledale. Arguably the best part, we have to put the wax coating onto the cheese, with a different wax colour for each different range. Just so that you can get an idea of what’s involved, here are some ‘behind-the-scenes’ pictures of my son, Sam, doing some this morning:

Only a rare few get to see what goes on behind this door!

The cheese before it’s covered in wax.

Sam dipping the cheese into the wax pot.

It takes a lot of concentration not to drop the cheese into the pot!

After the excess wax has been allowed to drip off, the new coating is left to dry.

The just-waxed cheese!

However, if you’re anything like me, being anywhere near the waxing pots will cause you to start wondering what else you can wax… Surprisingly I’m not allowed too near it these days.

Some other exciting news, we’re about to get a new range of company literature printed, such as promotional leaflets, new pricelists, new fancy price labels for the cheese. Not just that (and this is a Mandy Reed exclusive by the way), but we’re even in the process of designing some gorgeous shopping bags and aprons, which will be available to buy from us too! So fingers crossed, in a few months, you’ll be able to come to us for all your cheese/carrier/clothes protection needs. In fact, if anyone has any ideas of what they’d like to see on the front of one of our bags or aprons, please let me know – it would be great to read some different ideas.

Before I forget, I’m also happy to announce, I received my first blog comment! Thank you so much to Andy & Sue of Bruce Oliver Fine Cheeses Ltd, you honestly don’t know how excited I was when I opened that email to read that there was a new comment. Think of a little girl at Christmas opening a pony-shaped present, and you’ll get the idea! I’m still waiting on my second comment, but if it comes to it, I’ll simply have to force my kids to get logged on and leave me messages (that doesn’t mean you can start putting tea requests here Sam!).

So finally, keep a note of May 1^st, aka Cheese Day, and the next time I write on here, you’ll hopefully have seen some of the first lot of cheeses to come out of my dairy in four months. In fact, to say I’m excited is the biggest understatement made since Apollo 13 told Houston they had a “problem”…

Mandy

Just a mini-post here, as one of my friends told me to give this a go…

Basically if I put a link to a website called Technorati (I’m reliably informed that it’s a top blog search engine or something!), then my blog will be easier to find for any people looking for it.

All sounds like gobbledegook to me, but I may as well have a try!

Technorati Profile (this bit is the link I have to put in my blog for it to work properly)

Give me a little bit longer and I’ll be a I.T. extraordinaire before you know it…

Mandy

We’re making cheese again after almost three months of down-time!!

Started last Monday (with ewes milk for those interested), and it was so emotional for all of us here. It felt like such a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I was finally able to relax a little. And what better way to relax then to go to our local pub to celebrate?! Thankfully I don’t have any pictures of our pub antics, but I do have some wonderful snaps of the cheese being made…

Many of you may not realise but three years ago my husband, David, passed away suddenly. As you can imagine this was devastating for me, our kids, and really anyone who’d had the good fortune to know him. We had set up the company in 1987, and so for 18 years we worked side-by-side, helping each other through the growth of the business. Since I lost David, it’d been incredibly tough having to suddenly work alone, and the flood at Christmas was nearly the end of Swaledale Cheese. But we stuck at it and I’m so glad we did. I’ve not felt this happy in a very long while, and I sincerely doubt that you’d find anyone more excited to see some curds and whey as I was the other day…

In true Swaledale Cheese fashion, however, the excitement was tempered a bit when last week our pasteuriser went and blew up. As you can imagine, this put a slight spanner in the works and I would’ve quite happily taken a mallet to that machine. If you’re a fan of that new programme ‘Willie’s Wonky Chocolate Factory’ (I’m addicted), then try and recall that scene where after months of searching for his chocolate grinder, he finds the perfect one, only to blooming drop it. Swap ‘Willie’ for ‘Mandy’, grinder for pasteuriser, chocolate for cheese, and ‘dropping’ for ‘just plain rubbish’ and you’ve got my situation in one! Thankfully, it was fixed at the end of last week, but it still cost the price of a car to do so. Oh well, all’s fair in love and cheese eh?!

Anyway, before I have to get off and check that none of my other pieces of equipment (or workforce!) have conked out on me, I just wanted to say thank you for all who’ve been reading my blog. I had a look at my hits the other day (yes, I’m learning the techno lingo now) and it appears quite a few people have been wandering my way! If you do have a moment after you’ve read my yarns though, please leave a message on here, or some feedback, as I’d love to hear what people think. I think I’m finally getting into this internet malarkey…

Mandy

P.S. Here’s an ‘exclusive’ glimpse of the first batch of cheese, just for you lovely people….

(These little gems should be ready in a just over a month!)