HADRIAN CONNECTION HELPS SALES OF NORTH EAST'S PREMIER CHEESES (November 2005)

Emperor Hadrian's historic connection with the North East certainly helped Northumberland's only two commercial cheesemakers when they took part recently in the world's premier cheese festival at Bra in Northern Italy.

Thousands of Italian visitors were attracted to the stands of Doddington Dairy, near Wooler, and the Northumberland Cheese Company, of Blagdon, near Newcastle, when they saw a map indicating that the two companies were based in the region where Hadrian built his famous Wall. "II Vallo Del Adiano," it said.

"It was our Italian interpreter who added the reference to Hadrian's Wall on the map in the British food pavilion that attracted tremendous interest from the Italians," said Maggie Maxwell, who is in charge of cheesemaking at the Maxwell family's farm at North Doddington. "Although we and Northumberland Cheese were among the smallest exhibitors at the festival we got a terrific response to our cheeses," she added.

Doddington showcased four raw milk cheeses, Berwick Edge, Doddington, and two versions of Cuddy's Cave, which Maggie describes as a young Dales-style cheese. The most popular of her cheeses with the Italians was the smoked Cuddy's Cave. "It just flew off the shelves," she said. "I think it's because the Italians don't smoke many of their cheeses and they were really impressed with the flavour." The Doddington cheese is oak-smoked at the Teviot Smokery, Jedburgh.

Maggie also met American buyers at Bra who have been customers of Doddington cheeses for some years and since she returned to the family farm there have been several new orders from the States.

Mark Robertson, who runs the Northumberland Cheese Company, took with him three of his award-winning cheeses, Coquetdale, Brinkburn and Cheviot. His goat's cheese, Brinkburn, quickly sold out. "It was a good experience and I came across some very interesting cheeses from around the world," he said. He added that sales of his Northumberland cheeses are up 15 per cent this year. Both businesses are active members of Northumbria Larder, the regional food group, which gave logistical support to their participation in the festival.

Altogether, almost 30 English cheesemakers exhibited in the pavilion organised by the Defra-funded body, Food from Britain (FFB) at Bra.

Jane Wakeling, regional food and drink manager at FFB, said: "We were extremely impressed by the reaction of consumers and trade buyers to the British contingent at the show. The cheeses were constantly commended, proving once again that Italy does not have the monopoly on artisan cheese production."