Rick Stein has for several years been travelling the byways and highways of the UK visiting Food Producers and Farmers of which he has called his “Food Heroes”. There are a small number of farmers with Guernsey cattle herds who have in addition to the full time occupation of milking and caring for their Guernsey cows have made time to process the milk into a full range of luxury products for sale to the consumer. These exceptional people are, I believe, “Guernsey Champions”.
We will in due course provide details of each of our “Guernsey Champions”. Please check regularly for updates.
Olive Farm at Babcary, in Somerset, is a family-run operation with David and Rosie Paull and David’s parents, Ken and Mary, all involved in the business. They trade under the name of Hurdlebrook Dairy.
The business started with the sale of “green-top”, i.e. unpasteurised, milk and cream through local Farmers’ Markets in Somerset, but has since expanded to take in the much larger Guildford and Oxford markets, as well as the Notting Hill, Islington and Marylebone markets in London.
The Tiresford Guernsey herd is one of the oldest established herds in the UK, having been founded in 1950 by the Posnett family. Andrew Hope joined the business as a share partner about 15 years ago and, after the tragic accidental death of John Posnett, became a tenant of the farm at Tarporley and purchased the herd.
Andrew and Sue Hope have expanded the processing side of the business making mostly Yoghurt and Soft Cheese, but have just introduced a delicious new product called a “Cheshire Thickie”.
I think pride of place in this “Guernsey Champions” category should go to Jason and Katharine Salisbury, Suffolk Farmhouse, from Suffolk.
Jason contacted me about 5 years ago to ask if I knew of any Guernseys for sale as he and Katharine were putting together a business plan based on using Guernsey milk to make soft cheeses.