Cheesemaking is set to return to its home in Hartington, Pure Magazine's Steve Caddy reports:

Cheesemakers who learnt their craft at Hartington Creamery are set to bring production back to the village.

Adrian Cartlidge and Alan Salt have joined forces with Claire and Garry Millner, who saved Hartington cheese shop from closure, to revive a village tradition stretching back to the 1870s.

They plan to make cheese in two converted barns on the outskirts of Hartington from January, with the aim of resuming production of the famous blue Stilton on the creamery site in due course.

Adrian and Alan had originally hoped to resume production not long after the creamery was closed by Long Clawson in August 2009. They approached Claire and Garry, who had bought the shop with friends Helen and Jason Kidd, as potential stockists.

“We asked them if they would sell our product and they said they wanted to get involved,” says Adrian. “We clicked. They’ve got the business know-how and we’ve got the technical skills – it’s a more complete package.”

The four decided to share their ambition with the local community and were overwhelmed by the response: “We sent out about 200 letters to villagers asking what they thought and got back 180 letters of support, which was brilliant,” says Claire. “There are a lot of retired creamery workers in the village who want to see the tradition continue.”

Support was also received from the Peak National Park, along with a vital grant of £72,000 from the LEADER project, which uses EU and Government funding to stimulate rural development.

Equipment bought from a defunct creamery in Dorset is being installed in the barns in the first phase of the project, producing soft brie-type cheeses, rind-washed and hand-pressed.

Meanwhile, the team is in discussion with Cathelco, the owners of the creamery site, with a view to resuming Stilton production in phase two.

A further ambition is to offer cheesemaking apprenticeships to the local community. To support the business, cheesemaking courses will be offered.

“People will be able to make their own cheese and take it away with them,” says Garry. “It will be ideal for family days out, corporate away-days and school parties”.

Article contributed by Pure Magazine.