Feeling it Keenly

摘要

There are ways of making money in cheese making. One is to make a lo: of different products, catering to ail types of tastes and niches. There is also a school of thought that says make one product and do it well, and you'll have the market. Keen's Cheddar, based in Somerset, runs to the latter philosophy. The farm has been making cheese for around 110 years, and its brand of unpasteurised farmhouse cheddar is enjoyed globally, so something must be going right. "Cheddar's our mainstay," George Keen points out. "We do better to concentrate on one thing and do it well, rather than spread ourselves around and steal the emphasis from the cheddar. It's about getting it right." The farm has 250 cows, mostly Friesians, on 200 hectares. "It's a niche product in the market. Customers enjoy the old fashioned flavours. People like Neal's Yard have been very encouraging over the years," Keen notes. "We are involved with the Slow Food movement and are one of the West Country Farmhouse cheddar makers as well."