Fourth-generation Lancashire family cheesemakers, Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses have received two Great Taste Awards, adding to a growing award-haul in its 90th anniversary year.

Sunday Best, Butlers' 18-month matured farmhouse Lancashire cheese, was described by judges as “so good we had to go back for more” and Beacon Blue, a sweet, smooth blue goat's cheese was described as “majestic”. Both cheeses received two-star Great Taste recognitions and join Butlers' flagship Blacksticks Blue cheese, a one-star Great Taste winner in 2021.

It's the latest in a series of awards for the family cheesemakers. Last month, Butlers took home 19 medals across cheesemaking, product and packaging categories at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards - a record awards haul for Butlers at the ICDA. Butlers also won two Virtual Cheese Awards in May.

Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses was founded in 1932 when Richard and Annie Butler made just a handful of Lancashire cheeses in the family kitchen. In 2022, its 90th anniversary year, Butlers produce more than 1000 tonnes of farmhouse cheese every year, employ 100 people, supply all major retailers and have an online cheese store delivering nationally, direct from its Lancashire dairy.

Many of Butlers' cheese recipes have been passed down through four generations, and all cheeses are still made, matured and graded by hand today. Matthew Hall, fourth-generation owner at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses says, “We're so pleased to display the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo on two more of our award-winning cheeses. The Great Taste Awards logo is a powerful on-pack prompt for consumers who want to try the very best in food and drink and we hope that it helps even more people find and explore British farmhouse cheese, made in Lancashire.

“All of our awards are much-deserved recognition for every member of our amazing team who put their hearts into making, packing and selling our cheese every single day. We work collectively as an extended family, the same way we have for 90 years - its why being part of a family business like ours is so special.”

The Great Taste Awards

The Great Taste Awards is recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers.

Organised by the Guild of Fine Food, all products are blind tasted with every product removed from its packaging. This year, products from 110 countries around the world were submitted before a robust, layered judging process that took place over 90 days across two locations (Dorset and London) with a panel of more than 500 judges.

Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses supply independent retailers, delis and all major supermarkets across the UK. It's online cheese store https://butlerscheeses.co.uk is a one-stop shop for all cheese eating and gifting needs.

ENDS

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Great Taste Awards – Judges Notes:

Sunday Best - Beautiful, pale ivory, cream colour.  Cuts well, good curd distribution Crumbles in a manner as you would expect of a cheese of this quality. Good balance of moisture and dryness to give correct structure. Has more of a salty complex tang on the palate than you would normally expect from Lancashire, but not unpleasantly so - just gives more of a depth of flavour. Clean lasting finish. Well-made mature cheese.

A very fine traditional cheese with a moreishly crumbly texture and attractive light golden colour. We enjoyed the bright sharpness and acidity and were impressed with the length of flavour which included a little bitterness and plenty of salt. There is a lovely, lively tang to this cheese.

This handsome-looking cheese has a wonderful lactic, farmyard nose and is pale gold and slightly crumbly. On tasting there are layers of flavour, the gentle acidity, the salt, the creaminess and the clean taste of an exceedingly good Lancashire. The flavour keeps on developing and reaches your ears along the jawline, making the taste buds tingle! This is so good we had to go back for more. Now that's a sure sign of a winner! It is a lovely cheese indeed and worthy of a high award.

Beacon Blue - A beautiful looking cheese, a creamy goat character and the 'blue' element evident but at just the right level sitting behind the goat flavour and not dominating, smooth and well balanced, a really well-made cheese.

An incredibly attractive looking cheese with a fresh aroma and no hints of ammonia on the mould. The moulding throughout is even and bright. The texture is beautifully substantial, filling your mouth with creamy tones with light Goat notes. It's fresh and clean. We loved this - there is a gradual build of salt on the finish which we feel is a tad too much. However, this is a fabulous cheese and very worthy.

What a majestic-looking cheese. It looks so inviting with its ribs of blue through the creamy white, lightly crumbly paste. It has a mildly goaty aroma with the blue tingling the nose. On tasting it is smooth and creamy, but slightly spongy in texture, with the blue not dominating the gentle goatiness but it develops on the tongue with the perfect level of salt in harmony with the very gentle ammonia from the blue. This is an introductory level for goats' cheese for people who love Cheddar as it has such a delicious texture and not too heavy on the goat! We could go on eating this all day - it is a fabulous cheese.

About Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses:

Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses is an award-winning, fourth generation family cheesemaker established in 1932 in rural Lancashire. Butlers combine traditional skills, love and innovation to hand make specialist British hard, blue and soft cheeses with milk from its own herd of cows and goats.

In 2022, Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses celebrate 90 years as an independent family business. It makes some of Britain's best-loved cheeses, from classic Lancashire like 'Sunday Best', to 'Kidderton Ash' goats and creamy, soft 'Button Mill. Butlers is best known for flagship brand “Blacksticks Blue”, with its creamy, smooth texture, unmistakable orange colour and irresistible blue bite.

Butlers supply all major UK supermarkets and independent retailers. Its online cheese store is a one-stop shop for all your cheese eating and gifting needs, delivered nationwide, direct from the dairy, straight to your front door.

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