When a group of passionate traditional cheesemakers from the West Country got together in their local pub after a long day of dairy farming, little did they know that they were about to create a worldwide viewing phenomenon. What started life as a tasty round of handmade West Country Farmhouse cheddar, ended up entertaining over 1.7 million people across the globe from Iceland to India.
The idea behind cheddarvision.tv was to demonstrate the time and care that goes in to creating a delicious West Country Farmhouse Cheddar. The farmers thought they might attract a few hundred die-hard cheese fans but never imagined that the cheesy star would become an internet sensation.
It didn’t take long before the 44lb round of Farmhouse Cheddar was christened. Wedginald, as he was now known even attracted a following on MySpace, while time-lapse videos of its progress were viewed over 430,000 times on YouTube.
During his 12-month broadcast Wedginald received a Valentine’s Day card, went to Glastonbury festival , became a good-luck charm during the Rugby World Cup, wore a red nose and was finally auctioned off in aid of BBC’s Children in Need.
So, after a hugely successful and eventful year, the farmers waved off Wedginald to his new home down under – the winning BBC Children in Need bid coming from a winemaker in New Zealand. These farmers are very proud of their cheese, and the West Country Farmhouse Cheddar featured is one of just 14 UK products to carry the prestigious Protected Designation of Origin status, ranking it alongside world-famous epicurean treasures such as Champagne, Parma Ham and Cognac. The group were delighted to see such an icon of British food get the attention it deserves.
To watch live please visit www.cheddarvision.tv
Royal ploughmans for the Countess
After last years washout , the sun shone brightly on The Countess of Wessex as she attended the PDO lunch and presented Parkham farms with cups for both the reserve champion cheese and best PDO West Country Farmhouse cheddar. The show was a triumph for our other farmhouse cheesemakers too with a total of 40 medals and 7 special awards, just rewards for all the care and craftsmanship that goes into all our handmade cheeses.
Oh Come All Ye Cheese Lovers
West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers sing their souls out for Children In Need