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Every month I'll be rounding up the best cheese news stories from the web, blogosphere and social media.
This April 2015 edition starts with:
The UK General election! (?)
Or, rather, a much better alternative to it!
On May 7th, the UK goes to the polls to elect a new government. But, in the days before then, there are some very welcome distractions from the endless kissing of babies:
On the 2nd/3rd May, there is the Melton Mowbray Artisan Cheese Festival which is closely followed on bank holiday Monday (4th May) with the World Stilton Cheese Rolling Championships in Stilton itself!
The Food Festival Finder has a top ten list of UK based events to get you through the rest of the year, whoever is prime minister on the 8th of May!
Crossing over the Atlantic now:
I learned this month that Wisconsin is the only US state to require all of its cheese makers to be licensed!
Christopher Eckerman became the 6th annual recipient of a scholarship to start him on that very rewarding journey!
On the certified-side of the fence, over in Vermont, Joseph Green gives an interview about being one of only four certified cheese professionals in the state and being head cheese maker at Grafton Village Cheese.
You have the chance to meet Joseph and the team on the 17th and 18th April. With the 18th being a particularly relevant date, because...
...it's raw milk cheese appreciation day!
If you're in the UK and go here you can get a list of everyone certified to sell raw milk and make some of the best cheese you've ever tasted!
This was my favourite image of the month*:
And now for something (somewhere, actually) completely different:
Azienda Zootecnica Facenna, Puglia!
This story is not actually new, it was published in July last year, but the evocative writing and the beautiful photography of this stunning cheese making small holding in Italy make it a very wistful read.
Also far from a new post (I'm already reconsidering the name of this monthly roundup, and I've not even finished the first one yet!) is this infographic on the secret lives of milk - which would be a phenomenal poster for any cheese maker's cave!
A cave of a different kind was harbouring this 3,600 year old mummy, complete with the world's most aged piece of cheese!
Although, when you watch the video that goes with it, I'm guessing it's not a cheese you're going to want to try and make for yourself.
Back in the modern day, we thankfully have people like John Proestakes who has compiled a wonderful guide to eating camembert who reminds us that we should eat the rind as:
"It's incredibly rude to only eat parts of the cheese that 'are not gross'!"
Marcella the Cheesemonger is one of my favourite cheese bloggers. Recently she ran an inspired piece on the favourite cheese journeys of cheese professionals.
My favourite is Bill Krieger's - it's quite melancholy and a very subtle life changing moment for him.
Well, it's time to finish this roundup off, so how about two little bits of silliness?
Till next month... my cheese-making friends.
*I've been unable to find the original source for this image, which has been doing the rounds on social media. If you are (or know) the copyright owner please contact adam@homemadecheese so I can give proper credit.