Archive Article: 2002/05/10
CHEESEMAKER Sandra Allwood has won the coveted Farm Diversification category in Country Livings Enterprising Rural Women Awards.
Sandra, whose husband Mike is known to farmers weekly readers as a past Farmer Focus contributor, founded Ravens Oak Dairy in Cheshire in 1999.
"I absolutely love cheesemaking," says Sandra, who collected the award at the recent Country Living Spring Fair in London.
It marks one of a host of prizes netted by the Burland-based team – the first few coming almost immediately after the business started. "I thought at first it was luck – I never thought wed be able to replicate that success," says Sandra.
Burland Green brie, made from the Allwoods organic cows milk, is the dairys "flagship" cheese. "It has an excellent texture which softens as it ages and sometimes runs. The interior is a lovely golden colour with a deep mushroom aroma."
Her personal favourite, however, is the Whitehaven goat brie. "Smooth and soft, it has a subtle flavour hinting of almonds and white wine when young which evolves into a superb depth of character as it matures," is how she describes it.