0:00:02 > 0:00:03Across the country,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07thousands of farming families work tirelessly around the clock.
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Stop arguing, girls!
0:00:10 > 0:00:11Give over.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14WHISTLE BLOWS
0:00:14 > 0:00:16But there's one day each year...
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..where they get to leave the daily routine behind.
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Right, here we come, Dorset.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24These are show days...
0:00:24 > 0:00:27'A very, very warm welcome to Melplash Show.'
0:00:27 > 0:00:29..when they come together as a community...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33..to showcase the fruits of their labour...
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I just love showing my girls off.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40..and try to win prizes for their breed champions...
0:00:40 > 0:00:41Smashed it.
0:00:42 > 0:00:43..and award-winning produce.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45That's really nice cheese, that.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49It was very good, darling.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51There will be highs...
0:00:51 > 0:00:54That's what we want to see - red. Red is the best.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55..and lows...
0:00:55 > 0:00:57She's not happy enough to go.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03..for the dedicated farmers who give everything to walk away a champion.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04Fingers crossed!
0:01:13 > 0:01:18The global cheese market is worth an astounding £80 billion a year.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22Time for milking.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24British dairy farmers are determined
0:01:24 > 0:01:27to see some of that staggering stockpile.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Today we're meeting the Cheddar-making Clothier family...
0:01:34 > 0:01:38..and goat's cheese guru Roger Longman, who are all from Somerset.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Look at that - nice and clean. Lovely. One more?
0:01:44 > 0:01:47They're both sending their produce to one of the oldest cheese shows
0:01:47 > 0:01:48in the country.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52One dimensional and it dies.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57This is a major shop window for their wares
0:01:57 > 0:02:01and success here can lead to international acclaim.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13This is Somerset, the birthplace of Cheddar.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Its rolling hills and lush pastures have been home
0:02:16 > 0:02:18to brothers Richard and Tom Clothier
0:02:18 > 0:02:21and their cheesemaking family for generations.
0:02:24 > 0:02:30We've been spuddling around together since we were about two or three.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Whether you'd call it work early on was...
0:02:33 > 0:02:34another thing, wasn't it?
0:02:34 > 0:02:39'We've been, sort of, making cheese together for 30 years, probably.'
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Have a look and see how this one has set, shall we?
0:02:42 > 0:02:44'Yeah, working with family is actually good fun
0:02:44 > 0:02:46'and we know each other really well.'
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Got his younger brother to look after him!
0:02:52 > 0:02:54He might not always agree with that!
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Come on, girls.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04It's not just the brothers that run the family's 1,500-acre farm...
0:03:04 > 0:03:05Come on!
0:03:05 > 0:03:06..as their cousin, Roger,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09takes care of the thousand-strong herd of dairy cows.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14I was born on the farm. We all grew up together -
0:03:14 > 0:03:18my brother and my cousins, my uncle, my father -
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and we used to have some fun times in the summer
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and run the business now to this day.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32We did do all the roles when we were kids but I did like working the land
0:03:32 > 0:03:36and tending the cows and that's where I've stuck now.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39One of my favourite things about the farm
0:03:39 > 0:03:41is when I wake up in the morning.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43I can come out the door and I've got the green fields,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45the cattle, the crops and the fresh air.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Sometimes during the winter months, it's very hard -
0:03:51 > 0:03:55cold, wet and dark mornings, dark evenings -
0:03:55 > 0:03:58but the job has to be done and we're used to that.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01We're used to hard work so we take it in our stride.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07That family philosophy has meant that they're all used to taking care of each other.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09I'm not sure who's the responsible one, really!
0:04:09 > 0:04:12- It's more like us looking after Dad, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Their father, John, handed the reins of the farm
0:04:16 > 0:04:19over to his sons and nephews in 2010
0:04:19 > 0:04:23and is now, at the age of 73, semi-retired.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Well, I'm very proud that they wanted to put up with me
0:04:29 > 0:04:34and follow what myself and my brother and my mother
0:04:34 > 0:04:35and father and grandfather
0:04:35 > 0:04:38and the rest of it have done, so really proud of that.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46Handing on the heritage has always played a crucial part in the family's history.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54The family have been making cheese and dairy farming for hundreds of years,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58so cheesemaking and dairy farming went hand-in-hand.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01But the foundations for the family's success
0:05:01 > 0:05:04is down to one very special lady.
0:05:04 > 0:05:09My grandmother started making cheese to her family recipe and the recipe
0:05:09 > 0:05:12was handed down from mother to daughter through the generations,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15cos the ladies always made the cheese.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19However, their Granny Ivy did something no-one had done before.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24My grandmother was the first one to write the recipe down,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26in the early 1900s,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28and we've put that recipe in a safe
0:05:28 > 0:05:31and keep it under lock and key, cos it's very important.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34It is Granny Ivy's recipe and it's...
0:05:34 > 0:05:38You know, it's critical that we keep the cheese true to her recipe.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40All right, Merv?
0:05:44 > 0:05:47As custodians of Granny Ivy's secret formula...
0:05:48 > 0:05:49Good stuff.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53..it falls on Tom and Richard to deliver a cheese the family can be proud of.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Yeah, very good.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Tom's in charge of the dairy here,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00so Tom can tell you all about cheesemaking.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02I'm the third generation of cheesemakers.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04It's what we do, and still remain passionate about it.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11From humble beginnings, the farm has now grown into
0:06:11 > 0:06:16a business that makes on average 14,000 tonnes of cheese every year.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22It's funny cos cheesemaking is quite a simple process in many ways,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25but our predecessors used to call it the black art because you're
0:06:25 > 0:06:28challenged by nature and the changing of seasons.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30And that's what makes a really good cheesemaker -
0:06:30 > 0:06:34someone who can follow the recipe despite all of those things
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and still make a really good cheese.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41I love what I do. I love cheese.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43If someone criticises my cheese,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46it's like them criticising my children, you know?
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Just under five miles away, outside the village of Pylle,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00a somewhat smaller, but equally ambitious, cheesemaker
0:07:00 > 0:07:04is taking advantage of the lush Somerset countryside.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Only he's not milking cows.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Come on, up you come!
0:07:11 > 0:07:15This is the first part of the cheesemaking process, effectively,
0:07:15 > 0:07:16is getting the milk out of the goat
0:07:16 > 0:07:19and everyone thinks we suck the milk out.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20We don't suck the milk out -
0:07:20 > 0:07:23it's a gentle squeezing, so it mimics the mouth of a kid.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Goat's cheesemaker Roger Longman
0:07:28 > 0:07:33took over his family's 300-acre dairy farm when his parents retired.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35I grew up on a farm but never wanted to be a farmer.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37It looked like hard work to me.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Dad was always out either milking or driving a tractor.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44So I trained as an engineer.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Enjoyed it but realised I actually quite liked being in the countryside.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Roger's father kept cows and made Cheddar
0:07:54 > 0:07:57but the farm fell on hard times in the late 1990s
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and so Cheddar production stopped.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02To try to rebuild what his family had lost,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Roger placed all his hopes for the future
0:08:05 > 0:08:07in a different kind of cheese.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Where we are here is a big cheesemaking area.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12There's a lot of Cheddar makers,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16so there's a lot of competition for cow's cheese in this area,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18so I needed to do something that was different.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20In those days, there weren't many people making goat's cheese
0:08:20 > 0:08:23and I was very aware that goat's milk was starting to become popular.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27I think my father would be very proud if he was still here, so, yeah.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29That's the saddest bit - that he isn't here to see it.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Luckily, he hasn't had to do it all alone,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37as his farm manager Rob has been with the family business
0:08:37 > 0:08:40almost as long as his boss.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- I was there from the start. - You were born and bred here, weren't you, Rob?
0:08:43 > 0:08:45- Yeah, pretty much.- I've been very lucky with Rob -
0:08:45 > 0:08:49his father used to work for my father and now Rob works for me.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51I'd rather have the goats than the cows any day.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Any day. Look at me now.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I wouldn't be like this if I was with cows - that's for certain.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Drier. You don't get covered in... muck.
0:09:04 > 0:09:05Come on, then, girls, come on.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10I know most of them. They've all got their own personality
0:09:10 > 0:09:12and there's some miserable buggers as well.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17We like friendly ones. Nice girl.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21They sit there, come in, do their job and off they go.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Unsung heroes, I suppose.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Last group of the first kidders and the youngsters are coming in.
0:09:28 > 0:09:29- They'll be the troublemakers. - Oh, yes.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31They're not happy the first time.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33They don't like coming in the first time.
0:09:38 > 0:09:39Fanfare or not,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43the day-to-day grind of running a farm is not for the faint-hearted.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Farming's hard work. There's a lot more machinery and equipment than
0:09:47 > 0:09:50there used to be, but it's still hard work and it always will be.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Cos there's a lot... Although you can milk cows with a robot,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57you can't milk goats with a robot cos they'll chew it to bits.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Hello, girls. All right?
0:10:07 > 0:10:10For Roger, the care he gives to his animals
0:10:10 > 0:10:14comes top of his list of duties if he's going to succeed.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25This is the start of our next generation of milking goats.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28You're my future, girl, aren't you? Yeah, I know, very important.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31We want to do everything possible to make life as easy and comfortable
0:10:31 > 0:10:33for them as possible, cos if they're happy and comfortable,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36they will grow so that when they come into the milking parlour,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38they produce lots of milk.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Does it get any cuter than this?
0:10:40 > 0:10:42No, it doesn't. I love this -
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I love being able to do this with our animals.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48I love the attention we can give them and when you come down,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50they recognise you. They'll come up and say hello,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52particularly ones that have been sickly
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and you've really had to hand-rear them - they never forget you.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09There's just two days to go until the Frome Cheese Awards.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16In Somerset, brothers Richard and Tom, with father John,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19are selecting which of their different Cheddar cheeses
0:11:19 > 0:11:22are best to represent their range.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25That's a smashing cheese. That really is.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30Tom and I have been grading and eating cheese with Dad for the last 40 years.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Tom, maybe a bit longer.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Tom, about 60 years!
0:11:37 > 0:11:40What to take is no laughing matter.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42They're relying on the experienced senses
0:11:42 > 0:11:47of their master cheese grader, Di Cox, and her trusty cheese iron.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52This one's the mild. You can see it's nice and smooth.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58These cheeses range from 3 to 18 months in maturity.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01It's a lovely flavour. I just think it's a bit pale.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03You see the way that breaks up...
0:12:03 > 0:12:05That's a good start.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07We have to go for a committee decision now, then.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Gathering together to make decisions has always been important
0:12:12 > 0:12:16to the close-knit Clothiers - but agreement must be met.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20The next cheese in need of appraisal is the finest extra mature.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24- I like that.- I think it's got a lovely texture, as well, this one.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26I think if there's a judge that likes flavour,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29they'll like that cheese cos that's a smashing cheese.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31That's a winner for me, that one.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34The extra mature has gone down well.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37Now for the vintage, which has matured for 18 months.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41That's all there, isn't it?
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Nice bit of crunch on the end of it.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47It's a proper vintage Cheddar, isn't it?
0:12:47 > 0:12:50- It just depends what the judge likes.- Mm.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54John's family have been competing at Frome for 75 years
0:12:54 > 0:12:57but bagging a prize there is never a given.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02It's the first one that I ever attended
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and the first one Mother ever showed in,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07and my sister, who came along after Mother,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and she won the family's first
0:13:10 > 0:13:13reserve champion cheese at Frome Show.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14So, all those sort of things
0:13:14 > 0:13:18have built up along the way and increase the importance
0:13:18 > 0:13:23of actually showing all our products at Frome Show.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26If you win it, it's pretty special.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29If that cheese doesn't get a prize, I will be shocked.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32- Would you, Dad? - Two winners, I'm talking about!
0:13:42 > 0:13:47Five miles away in Pylle, Roger also has ambitions for his farm.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52But they have nothing to do with scale.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56I've never wanted to be the big cheese - absolutely not.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00I will never have a massive factory with machines.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03It will always be lots of people doing it by hand.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06That's really important. That's what you're paying for in an artisan product -
0:14:06 > 0:14:08you're paying for that care and attention.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11That simple approach to making cheese
0:14:11 > 0:14:13owes much to humble beginnings.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Every culture has its own history of where cheese came from.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24There's usually a tale of a shepherd with milk in his water bottle
0:14:24 > 0:14:26that was a stomach from a calf, or what have you,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28and it's curdled into cheese.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34Goats were one of the first domesticated animals.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38They've been reared for their meat and milk for over 10,000 years
0:14:38 > 0:14:40and can live in almost any land environment.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43Hi, girls, all right?
0:14:43 > 0:14:47In the ancient world, and even in some developing nations today,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50status was measured by the size of your herd.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Come on, girls.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59Goat's cheese was an accidental by-product of the milk
0:14:59 > 0:15:03and dates back as early as 6500 BC.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08It is thought that the milk fermented when carried in containers made from animal stomachs.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13These had natural rennet, which turned the milk into cheese.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Cheese is a way of preserving all that excess milk you have
0:15:20 > 0:15:21in the spring and summer,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24where animals are outside grazing lush pastures,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27preserving that fat and protein to consume in the winter periods
0:15:27 > 0:15:29when it's dark and cold and there's not much food around to eat,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33so that's why cheesemaking has developed around the world.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40The basics of cheesemaking have fundamentally stayed the same since
0:15:40 > 0:15:42its discovery thousands of years ago.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48For the goats that would have been milked this morning,
0:15:48 > 0:15:49that milk's come up here.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53It takes a couple of hours to heat and cool the milk.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Within 12 hours, it's turned from milk into cheese
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and then it takes three weeks to mature it enough that it's got that
0:15:59 > 0:16:00flavour we're looking for.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03And after that, it depends how strong you want your cheese.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06If you want it fresh, you can eat it at three weeks but if you want it
0:16:06 > 0:16:09really strong with a really strong, goaty taste to it,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12need to wait another two or three weeks to get that maturity to it.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Ripening the cheese takes expertise
0:16:16 > 0:16:19and is a full-time job for one man at least.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Here he is, the cheese monster.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23This is Clarky, hiding in the background there.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25He's busy working away. We have a posh name for him.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27He's what we call an affineur.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30That's the French word for maturing cheese.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32We call him Sponge Monkey. It's what he really is.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35He's in here all day with a sponge and a bucket of brine,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- washing cheese. - Yeah, I like it.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40If you leave it the same way up the whole time,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43all the liquid falls to the bottom and you get a soggy bottom
0:16:43 > 0:16:46and we don't like soggy bottoms. There's a small cheesemaker down the road from us
0:16:46 > 0:16:48who's putting in a robot for doing that.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51It's really hard to find people who want to pick up and turn cheese
0:16:51 > 0:16:53all day. It's not the most exciting job.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Clarky will wash cheese for the rest of his life.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58He's stuck in here. There's a little bed in there -
0:16:58 > 0:17:00he sleeps in the corner there.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02He doesn't get to go home very often.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04I never see natural sun!
0:17:05 > 0:17:09The care his staff put into making their 25 different cheeses means
0:17:09 > 0:17:14picking the right one to represent them at the awards is paramount.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Roger's favourite cheese has a very personal significance
0:17:17 > 0:17:19for his business partner, Peter.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21This is Rachel. This is our best-selling cheese
0:17:21 > 0:17:23and she's won quite a few classes outright -
0:17:23 > 0:17:25best goat's cheese and things like that.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Rachel is named after a lady that Peter, my other cheesemaker,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32quite fancies. He thought if he named a cheese after her,
0:17:32 > 0:17:33she might go out with him.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36The cheese is very good and she's very proud to have a cheese named after her.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39She lives locally so she loves going to a cheese shop and saying,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41"That cheese is named after me."
0:17:41 > 0:17:45If we don't win some medals for this, I shall be extremely upset.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Thankfully, Roger's fate won't lie with Rachel alone.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54But making sure his selection is right for the big show at Frome
0:17:54 > 0:17:56is no mean feat.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01I don't want to cut them open - that's what the judge is supposed to do -
0:18:01 > 0:18:04so I'm just giving them a little squish and seeing which ones are
0:18:04 > 0:18:06the ripest. I've got to make sure I get it right.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09It's the simplest thing - therefore it's the simplest thing to get wrong.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12I think that one's a little bit overripe for the judges, I think.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14That's gone a little bit too far.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18One of Roger's cheeses is inspired by a local landmark.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20OK, so this is Tor.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23This is a pyramid goat's cheese named after Glastonbury Tor,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25which we can see from the farm here.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30It's covered in ash and it goes this lovely bluey mould on the outside
0:18:30 > 0:18:32and that's nice and firm and ready to go.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36The other one was a little bit soft, a little bit overripe, I think.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38Still tasty but probably a little too strong for the judges -
0:18:38 > 0:18:42they'll be looking for a fresher cheese, I think, cos it's in the fresh cheese class.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Frome traditionally used to be a Cheddar show but they've really opened it up
0:18:45 > 0:18:49to make it a lot more attractive for us smaller artisan makers to come along to.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53So, we haven't entered Frome for more than a decade.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56We were making Cheddar and this is the first time I've taken goat's cheeses to it,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58so it is a big deal to go back.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00So, we've got the Pave, the Rustler, the Rachel,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03the Tor, the ricotta. This is a Pave Cobble.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07I'll just take the labels off, cos they're not supposed to know which cheese is which.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Anyone know where the ricotta pots are?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Ah, here we are.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Right at the back. Right in front of me.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Being amongst the smaller cheesemakers
0:19:17 > 0:19:20is a challenge at every turn.
0:19:20 > 0:19:21Where did I put the lid?
0:19:21 > 0:19:24We're the little guys going up against the big guys, definitely.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26They've got a lot more clout than we have.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Try not to squash the other ones.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32It's not an easy road but I love to win.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36I do love to win at anything and I know I've got good cheeses.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39If we can come out on top, that'll be just a dream come true for us.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48The day of the show is fast approaching.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Reputations are at stake for both sets of cheesemakers.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54I'll open the van up for you.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Yeah, let's get these loaded up, then.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01If the family pride is to be upheld,
0:20:01 > 0:20:05then Granny Ivy's spiritual intervention might be needed.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08We'll have a quick word with Ivy, for a start!
0:20:10 > 0:20:13She'll know before us, because...
0:20:13 > 0:20:16she'll be right in there with the judges, so she'll know before us!
0:20:18 > 0:20:22But leaving the farm seems more of a challenge for Tom.
0:20:22 > 0:20:27Tom never leaves Bruton, let alone gets as far as Wincanton or Frome,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29so it's a massive day.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31He's got to have his injections later on!
0:20:31 > 0:20:33They might not let him over the border.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36He'll have to fill up his car for the first time this year!
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Yeah, Tom will be up at four o'clock,
0:20:39 > 0:20:41limbering up, getting ready for it.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45- Waxing his cheese.- He'll be doing his fake tan before he goes!
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Don't drop it, mind, Tom. That's the best one.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59I would love to win the top prize. That'll be great.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02I wouldn't shout it too high from the rooftops but I'd certainly make a noise about it.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05Yeah, I'm going, yeah.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07We'll stop at the doctor's surgery on the way,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10get Tom's injections and get his passport stamped!
0:21:11 > 0:21:13He's driving, though.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24And off they go.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Deep in the heart of the Somerset countryside,
0:21:41 > 0:21:45the world-renowned Frome Cheese Show is beginning to set up.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Started in the 1860s,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54it's part of the Frome Agricultural Show
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and the cheese awards have been an integral part of it
0:21:57 > 0:21:58for the best part of a century.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Stronger than ever,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10cheesemakers from across the world enter these awards
0:22:10 > 0:22:14because winning accolades here can put producers on the map.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Judging will take place in an 1,800-square-foot tent
0:22:34 > 0:22:38in a dedicated field of the Frome Agricultural and Cheese Show.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48- It's not quite as acidic as the last one.- No.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The 50 judges have only just begun to taste,
0:22:51 > 0:22:52sniff and discuss their way
0:22:52 > 0:22:55through the thousand-plus cheeses here today.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Quite pleasant.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07These judges are selected from the best palates and producing experts in the country.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13When we're judging, we start from a technical perspective.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17It depends on the variety that you're judging, what you look for.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Ultimately, it can end up being a little bit of a subjective task
0:23:20 > 0:23:22because the two judges might say,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26"Well, they're both fantastic cheeses - which one do we prefer?"
0:23:26 > 0:23:27Then you make your winner,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30so we'll be using four senses when we grade them.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32We'll be using sight...
0:23:33 > 0:23:35..touch...
0:23:35 > 0:23:37taste and smell.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39- Smell the truffles? - Oh, yes.- This is great.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43We'll have a good discussion about each cheese, rank them accordingly,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46then make our decision as to what is the best one.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Occasionally, some people will listen to a Cheshire
0:23:49 > 0:23:51to see if it squeaks properly.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55The standards are extremely high here.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Being crowned champion at this show will bring serious rewards.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04These shows are all really important.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Imagine being the winner out of all these cheeses,
0:24:07 > 0:24:10how much benefit it can bring to your business.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18The sheer scale of what's been entered means judging
0:24:18 > 0:24:20will take place over most of the day.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29The cheesemakers themselves will only arrive later
0:24:29 > 0:24:32for the sit-down dinner and awards ceremony.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46These judges have already been going for four hours.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48It's quite mature.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Not quite as dry as the last one.
0:24:58 > 0:24:59Nice texture.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06They need to sample 1,068 cheeses -
0:25:06 > 0:25:08including Cheddars, Cheshires,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12mozzarellas, Parmesans, Red Leicesters,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15blue cheeses and at least ten other varieties.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19Very nice.
0:25:23 > 0:25:29One of the judges is former Coronation Street actor turned cheesemaker Sean Wilson.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32I've been taught how to judge Cheddars over the years.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I've tasted some gorgeous, gorgeous Cheddars,
0:25:35 > 0:25:36which I could bore you to death with.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Farmhouse Cheddars, Helvetica Cheddars, supermarket Cheddars,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41retail Cheddars - you name it.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44But there's soft cheeses, which I've just done 37 of.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47I've judged that particular section with a lady who's been
0:25:47 > 0:25:51grading and judging soft cheeses for 60 years.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55Sean's hard-won knowledge has made him a sought-after judge
0:25:55 > 0:25:57and today he's all over the mozzarellas.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Very, very simple cheese, a mozzarella.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03What you should do when you first begin is,
0:26:03 > 0:26:04ten points for appearance,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06ten points for aroma,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08and ten points for the structure of the cheese.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10So, yeah, it's a ten-pointer.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14And if it breaks like a piece of bread, which exactly it does...
0:26:14 > 0:26:18It's the right colour. It's very much the right smell.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21It's got everything going for it. And then...
0:26:23 > 0:26:24It's got a rich flavour.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27It's the X factor - it just makes me smile.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30I'm very passionate about the fact that I want to
0:26:30 > 0:26:32bring the public to the cheese,
0:26:32 > 0:26:37in so far as they can walk into a cheese shop with a bit more confidence.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40In the '80s, no-one would step into the wine shops
0:26:40 > 0:26:42because it's all a little bit of a world,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45it's a little bit above everybody, but it's not above everybody.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48That's what we've all learnt. It's the same with cheese.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51So if I can just teach some people about the cheeses
0:26:51 > 0:26:54and then bring them slowly to the cheese shops,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58then hopefully the whole industry will all do better with it.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02It's late afternoon.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06And while the judges keep going...
0:27:07 > 0:27:10..the cheesemakers begin to arrive.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18Even though it's the Clothier family's 76th year at this event,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20winning a trophy is still very important to them.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Though perhaps not top of their agenda at the moment.
0:27:27 > 0:27:28It's looking like a cup of tea, then.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30I thought you chaps were heading for a cider.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Well, I was heading for cider, but...
0:27:32 > 0:27:34It's a bit early.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37We always get a bit butterfly-y, you know,
0:27:37 > 0:27:39when you want to win something.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43Goat's cheesemaker Roger hasn't shown here for a decade
0:27:43 > 0:27:46but he's feeling just as apprehensive.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I was really nervous when I came in.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52There's a nice table of awards there, so we'll...
0:27:52 > 0:27:55We'll see. Hopefully some of them will come home with me.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01While Roger mingles with the creme de la creme of the cheese world...
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Yeah, a lot of good judges here, definitely.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I do like to get up and win awards though. You know, we'll see.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10..unbeknown to him the judges have just reached one of his cheeses -
0:28:10 > 0:28:12his Tor.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17Let's try this one.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21We've got...
0:28:21 > 0:28:22Mm!
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Just... Well, it's mould.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29This is an ash pyramid goat's cheese with a fungus rind,
0:28:29 > 0:28:33a lemony flavour and a smooth, close texture.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37You've got mould around the outside, generating some flavours in.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Pleasantly surprising.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43Not overpowering.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46I'd probably give that an eight, to be honest.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53With a promising start, they move straight on to Roger's next cheese,
0:28:53 > 0:28:55his best-selling Rachel.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57This is a semi-soft goat's cheese
0:28:57 > 0:29:00with a washed rind and a sweet, medium flavour.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05- Lovely smell.- Yeah, it is.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14Always high hopes for Rachel. I'll be pleased if she wins.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17I'll be upset if she doesn't win - put it that way.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Good texture. Nice, clean flavour.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24- So you'd give that...- Seven? - Seven?
0:29:25 > 0:29:29They like the smell and taste of this goat's cheese.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31It's a solid seven out of ten.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37But with a lot of cheeses still to taste,
0:29:37 > 0:29:39Roger faces stiff competition.
0:29:54 > 0:29:59Looking to make an impact on the judges, as well, is the Clothier family's first entry.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10It's one of Granny Ivy's famous recipes,
0:30:10 > 0:30:15the vintage Cheddar that has been left to mature undisturbed for 18 months.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20It's definitely got aroma and it's clean.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22We've done everything we can now.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25We've picked some lovely cheeses and, you know,
0:30:25 > 0:30:27hopefully they'll be what the judges are looking for.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Crumbly.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33All senses stimulated, just judgment to be passed.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35- I think it's too crumbly.- Yeah.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38The acidity's got the texture and its shot.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- That falls away quite quickly. - It does, it goes flat.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45All you've got is sweetness and then nothing else.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49The first bite at judging isn't a strong one for Granny Ivy's cheese.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51If it didn't win, the judge was wrong.
0:30:54 > 0:30:55Despite a tough start,
0:30:55 > 0:30:59it's definitely not all over for the Clothier family.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03The judges are about to taste another of Granny Ivy's secret-recipe Cheddars.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10It's the last chance for one of her cheeses to win
0:31:10 > 0:31:12in this fiercely competitive field.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16That crumbles and then comes back, doesn't it?
0:31:16 > 0:31:18- It fractures.- That's good.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20It fractures really, really easily.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Their extra-mature Cheddar has made an impression.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31This is a full-flavoured cheese that takes 12 months to reach its peak.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Dad's got a mixture of, you know,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38"Did the judges look happy or didn't they?"
0:31:38 > 0:31:40He's trying to call it now.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42He's getting a bit anxious, I think.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Sweeter than the last one.
0:31:50 > 0:31:55I like how the layers of flavour build and a nice thing there is
0:31:55 > 0:31:57everything's balanced. Nothing's fighting.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59- Really good.- Totally agree.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05It's a great reaction to Granny Ivy's extra-mature Cheddar
0:32:05 > 0:32:08and the family are hoping it will win them a gold medal today.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Definitely got a good chance.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14We picked some good cheese.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16You can never be certain, anyway, can you?
0:32:16 > 0:32:18You don't know what the judges are going to be looking for.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21All you can do is give it your best shot.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23They won't know it until later
0:32:23 > 0:32:27but they have won a gold medal for this family heirloom.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30That's a nine-plus for me.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34I like that more than the one in the previous classes.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35- Nine?- Nine and a half?
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Nine and a half, yes.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40- Yes. So it's a gold?- Definitely.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49The judging is almost coming to an end.
0:32:49 > 0:32:54Before it does, Roger has one more offering - his goat's curd.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01If we win a gold, it's a big reward for our team back at the farm and in the cheese room.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05They can see that what they're doing is working and other people really appreciate it.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09Winning a gold medal is a big ambition.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14- Clearly goaty.- Mm.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17First to be judged are Roger's rivals in the section.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21There we are. Nice and crumbly.
0:33:21 > 0:33:22A little bit dry.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Is it better than the first one?
0:33:25 > 0:33:27There's almost not enough taste to it.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30Tough judges indeed.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35And with Roger's fresh curd the next cheese to be tried...
0:33:35 > 0:33:37Here we are. Last but not least.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40..his trial by trio is about to be run.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43We've got a fresh curd going,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47which is a lovely, spreadable, very simple cheese.
0:33:50 > 0:33:51Nice and light.
0:33:52 > 0:33:53Very creamy.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58Tangy and really fresh.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00- I do like that.- Excellent.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02- So we have a clear winner?- We do.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- Are you comfortable that 238 is a clear winner?- Yep, sounds good.
0:34:08 > 0:34:09- Very nice.- Excellent.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12We have a gold.
0:34:12 > 0:34:13It's gold for Roger -
0:34:13 > 0:34:15a category winner at last,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18and a major achievement for his budding goat farm.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Both sets of farmers have won gold here today.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27All the hard work they've put in throughout the year has paid off.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Now they have to wait for the award ceremony later
0:34:31 > 0:34:34to see if they'll walk away with a champion's cup.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43When you're producing quality cheese for the Frome Show,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46it's not just the pressure of the day that's upon you -
0:34:46 > 0:34:47it's the weight of history.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54The first show that we have any knowledge of was in 1861 and this
0:34:54 > 0:34:57coincided with the time when cheese development was taking place in
0:34:57 > 0:35:01Somerset, basically by one gentleman, Joseph Harding,
0:35:01 > 0:35:05who was born locally to Frome, and he was instrumental in introducing
0:35:05 > 0:35:09technology and passing on his skills to people throughout the UK.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Joseph Harding is commonly known as the father of Cheddar.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20Born in 1805 in Somerset, he's attributed with creating
0:35:20 > 0:35:23the modern method of making this venerable cheese,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27using machines to break and stir the curd.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Before this, it was done by hand and was a laborious job.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38Joseph and his family then took this technique around the globe.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44Cheddar in its traditional form is one of the oldest British cheeses.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50In 1170, there is an account housed in the Treasury
0:35:50 > 0:35:56that states King Henry II bought 10,000lb of Cheddar cheese.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Today the range of Cheddars is vast,
0:35:58 > 0:36:03although what will never change is the cow's milk that it's made from.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16At the Frome awards, everyone takes their seats for dinner.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24Tom's not used to being out, so he's just...
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Tom's in an alien environment because he's not on his sofa, so...
0:36:27 > 0:36:31- It really is Tom's big night out. - Yeah.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37Both the Clothier family and Roger were awarded at least one gold
0:36:37 > 0:36:39for their cheeses earlier today.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42This means they could qualify for the trophy tonight.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46The shows are all about the awards, you know.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51It's nice to meet people but I am here primarily to pick up awards that we've won, hopefully.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55I'll be happy if we pick up a trophy for one of those cheeses that we
0:36:55 > 0:36:57tried yesterday and, you know,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00I still think if I had put my money on it,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03I think that extra mature was worth something, I think.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08Main course is local lamb with new potatoes and a mint dressing.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17But it's the cheese course that everyone's interested in.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23You know at a cheese awards you're going to get a quality cheeseboard, so it's great.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24- Here you are.- Sorry.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Not long for the awards now. Just going to finish this cheese and hopefully we'll get on with it.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34You can hear, it is buzzing behind me.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38Nobody other than probably just two or three people know who've won.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40They're sitting there in anticipation,
0:37:40 > 0:37:41trying to enjoy their meal,
0:37:41 > 0:37:45and hoping that at the end of it they're going to be able to get up
0:37:45 > 0:37:47and take a cup or a trophy or an award.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51I'm now nervous, thank you very much.
0:37:51 > 0:37:52Yeah, bit nervous now, but...
0:37:54 > 0:37:56..all you can do is pick the best cheese
0:37:56 > 0:37:59and hopefully the judges will agree with that.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Yeah, time for serious butterflies now.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08We've got a proper tummy ache now, you know.
0:38:13 > 0:38:19We're now going to start to present the awards and I'm very pleased that
0:38:19 > 0:38:21our vice president, Nell Matheson,
0:38:21 > 0:38:23has travelled all the way down from Skye
0:38:23 > 0:38:27today to be here to present these awards. Nell Matheson.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38We're presenting the awards ending up with the global champion,
0:38:38 > 0:38:40so we're starting with the class winners that have a trophy.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46The Clothier family have done well with three of their Cheddars today
0:38:46 > 0:38:49and are up for the first group of awards tonight.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53And in this instance,
0:38:53 > 0:38:58the first class is traditional farmhouse extra-mature Cheddar...
0:39:01 > 0:39:02And the winners are Keens Cheddar.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04Thank you very much.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18Class 837 is the medium farmhouse Cheddar and it's Barbers.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24- I'll just have to do disappointment again, won't I?- No, you won't.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30I've got a degree in disappointment now.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Now we're moving on to the category of the creamery cheese and the first
0:39:33 > 0:39:37is for mild, white creamery Cheddar and the winner is...
0:39:40 > 0:39:42..Dairy Crest Davidstow.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Yet another disappointment for the family.
0:39:54 > 0:39:59The best goat's cheese trophy is next and Roger may have two bites at this cherry -
0:39:59 > 0:40:01his best-selling goat's cheese, Rachel,
0:40:01 > 0:40:05and his gold-medal-winning curd.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09It's when it comes up to announcing the awards for class winners that I know I've got a cheese entered,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11I will be on the edge of my seat. I will be.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13I want to win.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Best goat's cheese...
0:40:18 > 0:40:20..Vandersterre Groep International BV.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22But it's not to be.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33The Clothiers have one last cheese that could bring home a trophy.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38There is a cup for the finest mature Cheddar...
0:40:40 > 0:40:42..and the winner of this class is Wyke Farms.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44CHEERING
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Well done.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13This is about as good as it gets. Finest mature is...
0:41:13 > 0:41:16- It's what we came for.- It's what it's all about, isn't it?
0:41:16 > 0:41:20Yeah, Ivy was definitely up there looking down, no doubt about it.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23It's wonderful to think that a recipe has continued
0:41:23 > 0:41:24for over so long a period -
0:41:24 > 0:41:27it shows how good a recipe it really was.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31I might put it on Ivy's old mantelpiece, actually.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33- There you go, John.- Yeah.
0:41:34 > 0:41:38It's been a lovely night. Yeah, we haven't won the major prizes but we won at least one gold
0:41:38 > 0:41:42and that's always good, you know, so we'll be back next year for more.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44Have to up our game a bit.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53The Frome Cheese Awards are over for another year.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58They've been a celebration of the best of the British countryside.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05Both of these cheesemaking families have worked hard to get here.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10There's some really tough parts of this job,
0:42:10 > 0:42:12because farming isn't easy.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15You get good years and you get bad years so, yeah, there's tough times.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18It's not all beer and skittles, as the locals say.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22The future starts today.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27It's about doing the good things right and turning up and doing a job
0:42:27 > 0:42:30that you can be proud of and making cheese that we can be proud of
0:42:30 > 0:42:33and running the farm in a way that we're happy with
0:42:33 > 0:42:35and we're proud of as well.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38I think we make the best cheese in the world.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40I believe we make the best cheese in the world.
0:42:44 > 0:42:45I will always be a little guy.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47Even if we've got 50, 60 people,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49we will always operate in the way of a small company.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54The guys who make the cheese, they're forever trying to think of new types of cheese
0:42:54 > 0:42:58and I'm happy to let them do that and experiment and give it a go because I don't know what
0:42:58 > 0:43:01the next big cheese is going to be, you know, and they might come across
0:43:01 > 0:43:03an absolute winner, which would be great.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05What does the future hold?
0:43:05 > 0:43:06Hopefully, more cheese.