Back when Sturminster Newton held its first Cheese Festival in 1999, there can’t have been many who envisaged its popularity being so long-lasting that it would celebrate a 25th anniversary.
“It’s a perfect day,” said volunteer Steve Lewis, busy running the popular wine bar. “It’s absolutely
rammed but last year it was too hot, the year before too wet, and then in 2021 we were coming out of
COVID. Today is perfect!”
Outside, crowds gathered around the band stage, a glass of beer or cider in hand, relishing the
warmth of the September sun. There were lines for the popular food stands – this year, the longest
queue was probably for the Greek Souvlaki and Gyros stand where two cooks worked frenetically … yet somehow appeared completely chilled out as they kept up with relentless orders. It was a similar scene at the Westcombe Cheddar toasted sandwich stall and Purbeck Ice Cream. Considering there were at least two
other foodie festivals within a short drive, people had clearly chosen Sturminster Newton: and for good
reason.
Inside the enormous food marquees business was brisk, with producers highlighting classic ranges and new items. People had clearly come for the cheese … and particularly the samples. Dense crowds gathered around all the stalls, sampling and chatting to the producer. And so others didn’t miss out on a cheesy sample, some visitors devised a system, passing pieces back to friends in the crowd. Feltham’s Farm, Lyburn
Farmhouse Cheese and Book and Bucket Cheese were among the most popular with visitors. The Real
Cure was another very popular stall with its tasty salamis and cured meats – and requisite generous samples.
Apart from tasting the cheese, there were interesting questions being asked about the produce as
visitors took ful advantage of being able to speak to the producers about their work and food provenance. Why is Leicester cheese such a deep yellow? It’s due to a natural dye, Annatto, which
comes from a South American plant. It’s been included in Red Leicester cheese since the 18th
century.
Other questions included asking how long Cheddar cheese matured for – and then tasting the difference
between the eight weeks and a year-matured versions. Despite the crowds, the producers managed to keep up with both sample demand and all the questions being fired at them by interested, curious customers.
Some of the more seasoned visitors had clearly come with a shopping list of favourite cheeses and foods
to buy, having savoured the high quality from previous years. The venison produce at Taste of the Wild
sold out within two hours of the show opening. One lady at the Bath Cheese stand made a beeline for their
delicious soft cheese, exclaiming “I love this one. I always go for it.”
Outside the queue at the Greek Gyros stand appeared to be getting longer.
New produce
There’s always something new at Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival. On the Weymouth 51 stall –
renowned for its chilli sauces and fermented food – the new golden coloured Dorset Fire was eye-catching. Owner Mikka Tamlyn explained: “It’s a probiotic health tonic, best taken before a meal”
Made with Dorset Naga, Dorset Wasabi and apple cider vinegar, the taste was surprisingly mild – and
apparently is just as good in a gin and tonic as its stated health benefits!
While many of the stalls are regulars at the Cheese Festival, this year’s first timers included the Lyme Regis
based Black Ven Distillery, which attracted a crowd interested in its British rum. When owner John Tucker found that there were only a handful of true British rums in the UK (with most others being spiced blends), he started distilling, using almost all of his ingredients sourced from the South West. As a first timer iat the Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival, John was clearly impressed: “Its been amazing. A wonderful experience. It’s been the best show of the year for us.”
The Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival is always about more than food, however. The craft section seems to get bigger each year and 2024 was no exception. Autumnal coloured decorative wreaths, glass decorations, hand crafted leather mules, woodwork, weaving and more filled the tents and space outside. Hampshire-based Crackerdash had an innovative cheese-themed board game where you eat the cheeses as part of the
experience (what’s not to like): “We came last year and although it was hot we had a good time. So we’re back again this year but chose an outside pitch where it’s cooler!”
As visitors enjoyed discovering new foods and stocking up on old favourites, they gathered with
friends over lunch from one of the many food stands. There was even vocal appreciation of the odd wasp:
“It’s good to see them. There haven’t been many bees and wasps around this year.”
As the Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival celebrates 25 years, it’s wonderful to experience a perfect
day sampling some of the finest food produced in the West Country, and see the crowds enjoying a day in
the sunshine. The queue at the Greek gyros stall got ever longer… if you didn’t brave it, hopefully they will return next year. Here’s to the next 25 years of cheese festivals in Sturminster Newton.
