In July 2021 I started an ambitious project to document a-year-in-the-life of Westcombe Dairy.
It was a timely partnership as it coincided with a big push at Westcombe Dairy to take their regenerative farming to the next level. It also became a great opportunity to stop and consider all the changes that they've brought about at the dairy in the past years, from pasture-led grazing to the development of their charcuterie and the work they've done on the farm to improve resilience and diversity.
I visited Westcombe once a month, focusing on a different aspect of what they do on each visit. Through the lens of Westcombe Dairy we are able to look at how dairy farming is changing here in the UK and how one cheesemaker is making changes on their farm in search of a more harmonious nature with nature and ultimately an even more delicious cheese.
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In July 2021 I started an ambitious project to document a-year-in-the-life of Westcombe Dairy.
It was a timely partnership as it coincided with a big push at Westcombe Dairy to take their regenerative farming to the next level. It also became a great opportunity to stop and consider all the changes that they've brought about at the dairy in the past years, from pasture-led grazing to the development of their charcuterie and the work they've done on the farm to improve resilience and diversity.
I visited Westcombe once a month, focusing on a different aspect of what they do on each visit. Through the lens of Westcombe Dairy we are able to look at how dairy farming is changing here in the UK and how one cheesemaker is making changes on their farm in search of a more harmonious nature with nature and ultimately an even more delicious cheese.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
EMERGENCY PODCAST
An all new chat with Tom Calver in which I hear first hand what it was like to be at the centre of the Cheddar Scam storm that enveloped British Cheese just a few weeks ago. We talk about the real impact of a crime like this and how in a very weird way it’s a compliment to Farmhouse Cheddar!
We also talk about the budget and specifically the changes to IHT that have formed the backbone of the recent farming protests in central London. This was recorded a couple of weeks ago and so the story has evolved a bit since we discussed it but ultimately it’s an issue that proving very divisive and one that I don’t think is dropping g out of the conversation any time soon.
We also talk briefly about lard, slurry and Alpine cheese…
As always thank you for listening to The Westcombe Project and please do rate and review on your favourite pod app.
Cheers.
PS some articles
here’s a cracking piece all about the cheddar scam and why high end food is finding its way onto the black market
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crmz42pjpnjo.amp
an excellent analysis of the impact of the budget on farmers by James Rebanks
https://unherd.com/2024/11/a-farmers-revolt-is-coming/
The article in The Financial Times all about Lard
https://www.ft.com/content/47a70eb9-4a25-4209-aab6-3acc38e10b9b
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.