Thirteen generations of cheesemakers
Bay of Fires Clothbound cheddar is a hard cheese made by Bay of Fires Cheese in St Helens, on the East coast of Tasmania.
Head cheesemaker, Ian Fowler, descends from a long line of cheesemakers in England. In fact, the Fowlers are England’s oldest cheese making family, going back nearly 400 years. Ian was brought up on the family farm in Solihull, West Midlands.
The farm is home to England’s oldest purpose built cheese factory that is still in operation. Moreover, 13 generations of Fowlers have passed on the craft and technique of hand-making cheddar to their children.
A Tasmanian adventure
In 2009, Ian and his wife, Tracey, left their ancestral home and moved to Tasmania to seek a new adventure. Despite being far away from his roots, he found himself roped back in to cheesemaking.
To make this award winning cheddar, Ian uses the traditional cheddaring methods that his father and grandfather tought him. Once he has formed the truckles of curd, he wraps them in lard-coated cloths and allows them to mature for a minimum of 12 months.
At that age, the Cheddar develops a complex rind and a buttery and crumbly golden pâte. In addition to this, it has a pleasant grassy aroma and subtly sweet and savoury flavours with an earthy finish.
How to pair Bay of Fires Clothbound Cheddar
We can’t look past a crisp Tasmanian Cider to go with this delightful cheddar.
