Yorkshire cheese and Nigel Barden, key ingredients for virtual cheese weekender

The British Cheese Weekender, which kicks off this coming Friday and runs until Sunday evening, will feature masterclasses, virtual farm tours and tutored tastings.

The line-up includes Settle’s Courtyard Dairy, cheesemonger Stephen Fleming from George & Joseph in Leeds, cheesemaker Mario Olianas from Olianas, also in Leeds, Shepherd’s Purse Dairy in Thirsk and the Wensleydale Creamery in Hawes.

Yorkshire born chef and food writer, Nigel Barden will also be hosting a ‘virtual cheese and bevvies’ session.

This is the first time the UK’s specialist cheese community has come together to promote British cheese and cheesemaking.

The purpose of the weekend is to raise awareness of these fantastic and innovative businesses – as well as their delicious produce – and ask people to support them through the current crisis which is putting the thriving speciality cheese industry under threat.

Nigel Barden knows Yorkshire well having grown up on a farm before working as a land agent in the county. During his many radio and TV appearances, he has championed local produce and said he was very much looking forward to taking part in the Weekender.

“I am so looking forward to being part of the event. It’s a great opportunity to highlight the plight of our artisan cheesemongers who have lost all their restaurant, pub and hotel trade and are sitting on lots of stock, much of which has a dwindling shelf life and needs to be sold; the soft and blue cheeses in particular.”

On Friday night at 7.30pm, Mr Barden is virtually inviting people to pop in and taste some fine cheeses, pairing them with drinks.

“Hopefully, this will include one of the finest Yorkshire cheeses I’ve ever tried – Buffalo Blue from Shepherd’s Purse,” he said.

Just before Mr Barden’s get-together, at 6.30pm The Courtyard Dairy will host The British Cheese Revival. On Sunday Yorkshire producers will be at the fore starting at 4.30pm when Wensleydale Creamery will be delivering an online tutorial led by top Cheese Expert, Phil Jones followed by Shepherd’s Purse at 5.30pm introducing its award-winning cheeses and following them at 6.30pm will be Stephen Fleming and Mario Olianas presenting God’s Own Cheese Country.

There are sessions for the whole family with tasting sessions for children presented by Sam Wilkin (Cellarman Sam), farm tours at Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk and former World Cheese Awards champion, Lynher Dairies in Cornwall, a guided tasting on Instagram Live from Quicke’s in Devon, a tour of Neal’s Yard Dairy, a Fondue Night cook-along with The Cheese Bar’s Mathew Carver and a Cheese Pub Quiz with Paxton & Whitfield.