Cheese carving challenge at Coughton Court

Shakespeare Country is delighted to announce that the National Trust at Coughton Court is encouraging artists young and old to experiment with a new medium and try their hand at carving cheese. The cheese carving competition is a central part of a Cheese and Pickle Festival being held on Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 September during National Cheese Week within the beautiful grounds of this top Warwickshire tourist attraction.

Supported by Aga and local cheese makers, Fowlers Cheese, the Festival will showcase local produce and makers. Demonstrations by Aga will run throughout the weekend, alongside produce and crafts stalls, music, countryside demonstrations, falconry, local cider and wines and of course the cheese carving competition.

Inspired by the Throckmorton family coat of arms, Adrian and Pat Fowler, whose family have been making cheese for over 340 years, set about creating a work of art from one of their own cheeses. The Little Derby is made using the family’s oldest recipe and matured for an exceptional nine months, to produce a firm, mature cheese.

Pat Fowler said “This is a perfect cheese for carving and with some natural food colouring, the design really stands out. Although I have never attempted anything so complicated before, when the National Trust approached us I thought I would give it a try. It was a labour of love but I really enjoyed it and I wanted to show people that if I could do it, then anyone could!”

Visitor Experience Officer, Sarah Kinnersley, said “We are very excited about the event and delighted to be working with a local family of cheese makers, who are now incredibly on their 14th generation. It’s such an unusual challenge, I am hoping that everyone will be inspired to create a work of art in cheese and enter it into our competition. I am reliably informed that all you need is a small block of hard cheese and then all the family can have a go! The carved cheeses will be judged on the final day of our Cheese and Pickle Festival, so there’s plenty of time to get thinking up a brilliant design and start practising”

The Cheese and Pickle Festival will run from Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 September from 11am – 5pm.

For more details of the Cheese and Pickle Festival and Cheese carving competition, visit shakespeare-country.co.uk/cheesecarving.aspx.