milk type
Cow
ingredients
MILK, salt, rennet
coagulant
Animal Rennet
milk treatment
Pasteurised
location
Evercreech, Somerset
milk source
Own herd; Bought-in
breed
Holstein; Dairy Shorthorn
season
All year
average age
12-14 Months
cheesemakers
Rob Howard; The Calver Family
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Westcombe Dairy's maturing cave is equipped with Cheddar-turning robot, nicknamed Tina the Turner.
background
Cheddar has been made at Westcombe Farm since the late 19th century, and the cheese produced there today is much the same as it would have been back then. After dabbling briefly in the manufactu...
Cheddar has been made at Westcombe Farm since the late 19th century, and the cheese produced there today is much the same as it would have been back then. After dabbling briefly in the manufacture of block Cheddar in the 1970s, Richard Calver decided in 1999 to return the dairy to its traditional roots. Turning to the recipe that would have been followed in the 1890s, he dismantled the factory and built a dairy better suited to a more traditional make. When Richard's son Tom joined the business, he brought with him a chef's training and experience of working in Neal's Yard Dairy. Moving the make away from mechanisation as much as possible, Tom set about mastering every aspect of its process, from the quality of the milk, to understanding the interplay of rennets and cultures, to building a new maturing cave complete with Tina the cheese-turning robot.
At the same time, Richard, together with herdsman Nicholas Millard, continue to work on improving the herd. Most recently they took the bold decision to switch their herd of Holstein-Friesian to Dairy Shorthorns – a heritage breed that can subsist solely on grass and silage, and offers both versatility and slower, more sustainable growth. More information on their efforts towards more sustainable dairying can be found via The Westcombe Project Podcast.
Once moulded, the Cheddars are cloth-bound with lard and matured for between 11 and 18 months. Today, Westcombe is one of very few Cheddars left in Somerset that are still made by hand on the farm using their own milk, a natural cloth binding and traditional cheese cultures.
our work with this cheese
We visit Westcombe Dairy six times per year to select our batches of cheese.Accompaniments
Serving Suggestions
Grate Westcombe Cheddar into scrambled eggs towards the end of cooking for deeper savoury flavour.Recipes
Asparagus and Westcombe Cheddar Tart
This simple tart is a wonderful way to celebrate the short spring season of British asparagus. https://www.jamieoliver.com/features/asparagus-and-cheddar-tart/FAQs
How much cheese to buy?
How should I store my cheese?

Westcombe Cheddar
A smooth, well rounded farmhouse Cheddar from Somerset, selected for its warm, lingering flavours and happy balance of creaminess and acidity


Westcombe Dairy's maturing cave is equipped with Cheddar-turning robot, nicknamed Tina the Turner.
milk type
Cow
ingredients
MILK, salt, rennet
coagulant
Animal Rennet
milk treatment
Pasteurised
location
Evercreech, Somerset
milk source
Own herd; Bought-in
breed
Holstein; Dairy Shorthorn
season
All year
average age
12-14 Months
cheesemakers
Rob Howard; The Calver Family
background
Cheddar has been made at Westcombe Farm since the late 19th century, and the cheese produced there today is much the same as it would have been back then. After dabbling briefly in the manufacture of block Cheddar in the 1970s, Richard Calver decided in 1999 to return the dairy to its traditional roots. Turning to the recipe that would have been followed in the 1890s, he dismantled the factory and built a dairy better suited to a more traditional make. When Richard's son Tom joined the business, he brought with him a chef's training and experience of working in Neal's Yard Dairy. Moving the make away from mechanisation as much as possible, Tom set about mastering every aspect of its process, from the quality of the milk, to understanding the interplay of rennets and cultures, to building a new maturing cave complete with Tina the cheese-turning robot.
At the same time, Richard, together with herdsman Nicholas Millard, continue to work on improving the herd. Most recently they took the bold decision to switch their herd of Holstein-Friesian to Dairy Shorthorns – a heritage breed that can subsist solely on grass and silage, and offers both versatility and slower, more sustainable growth. More information on their efforts towards more sustainable dairying can be found via The Westcombe Project Podcast.
Once moulded, the Cheddars are cloth-bound with lard and matured for between 11 and 18 months. Today, Westcombe is one of very few Cheddars left in Somerset that are still made by hand on the farm using their own milk, a natural cloth binding and traditional cheese cultures.
our work with this cheese
We visit Westcombe Dairy six times per year to select our batches of cheese.
pairing suggestion
Grate Westcombe Cheddar into scrambled eggs towards the end of cooking for deeper savoury flavour.