Meet The Makers: Cerney Cheese

As a family-run business we love to showcase the work of other local craftspeople and makers who make the Cotswolds such a vibrant and interesting place to live and work. Therefore, it was our privilege to spend time with the team at Cerney Cheese (based in North Cerney) to find out more about how they make their multiple award-winning goats cheese. 

I spent some time with Nick Angus of Cerney House and Gardens whose mother, Lady Isabel Angus, started the business. Lady Isabel lived and spent holidays in France, where she developed a love for the Valencay type of cheese, which she decided she wanted to produce. Persuading a local farmer’s wife to show her the basics of how to produce this cheese, she worked alongside her two trusty goats Bonnie and Bella. The enterprise (which was only ever intended to be a way of enjoying the land and being self-sufficient) soon grew and developed, with more goats being added to the herd. Upon moving to North Cerney in 1983, one of the local villagers persuaded Lady Isabel to let him sell 12 cheeses, and the popularity was overwhelming. 

Cerney Cheese and the pyramid was born, initially produced in the Butler’s pantry at Cerney House, before moving to Chapel Farm in the village, where it is still produced today under the expert eye of Avril Pratt. Production remains faithful to the original recipe and processes, and it is no surprise that this cheese has won a World Cheese Award for Best Goats Cheese. 

Making the cheese is a four day process from milking to packaging. When we visited we were able to see the newly-set cheese draining in muslin, before being added to moulds. These moulds are kept overnight, turned, and then the seasalt and oakash mix is added before packing. The short production time makes for an incredibly fresh product, and it is one that has a unique appearance thanks to the ash and the pyramid shape of the classic block. 

The Cheeses

Cerney Ash

This is the pyramid-shaped cheese that has won “Best Goats Cheese” award in the World Cheese awards. Coated in seasalt and oakash in its pyramid shape, this cheese has a slight lemon tang to it, the flavour of which deepens with age. The shelf life is approximately four weeks. 

Cerney Mini Ash 

This is a smaller version of the Cerney Ash, available wrapped or in a small wooden box. 

Cerney Pepper

This is a lovely-looking medium goats cheese rolled in a coarse, hand-ground rainbow pepper. The shelf life is approximately three weeks and it comes wrapped or in a small wooden box.  

Cerney Starter

This is a small round intended for cooking, but which can also be eaten in salads. The shelf life for this cheese is two weeks. 

Where can I buy Cerney Cheese?

Cerney Cheese mainly supplies to supermarkets, delis and restaurants via wholesalers.

These are:

Rowcliffe
Paxton and Whitfield
Harvey and Brockless
Carron Lodge
New Wave Seafood
Aubrey Allen
Wellocks

The business is a wonderful legacy to the late Lady Isabel Angus and her vision to make high-quality goats cheese inspired by her time in France. It is wonderful to see the family continuing her traditional methods and growing the influence of a finely-crafted product in the Cotswolds.