This first time I attended the British Cheese Festival it was held on a rolling estate outside of Oxford. I tasted all 400 cheeses on offer.
The repercussions were not pleasant. But after the belly bloat subsided, I realized I’d been schooled by the experience in what a vibrant, mature farmstead cheese industry looks like.
There was a ton of cheese, of course. And there were many styles of cheese, too. Vendors who made non-cheese products – everything from crackers, jams and pickles to round out a cheese board to the artisanal boards themselves to a bevy of beverages that pair well with cheese – clamored for booth space next to popular cheese stalls. There were lots of people interested in trying new cheeses and there were many who were discerning about what makes a really good cheese exceptional.
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