Yorkshire Summer Field ‘Alpine’ – 250g

Description

Botton Village Community, part of the Camphill Village Trust, produces a variety of traditional farmhouse cheeses. These cheeses are crafted from the rich, high-quality milk of 46 Dairy Shorthorn cows, a traditional Craven breed celebrated for its exceptional milk quality.

Alastair Pearson, originally from the local area and a former employee at Botton, developed these cheeses. After a stint in Germany where he mastered the art of making Berg Käse—a type of mountain cheese—he returned to apply his newfound skills. Utilizing the Dairy Shorthorns’ creamy, yellow milk, he created Summerfield, an Alpine-style cheese. Unlike Botton’s Dale End Cheddar which is produced year-round, Summerfield is only made during the pasture-grazing months due to the complexities involved in producing Gruyère and Alpine-style cheeses, which require milk from non-silage-fed cows. Hence, Summerfield is produced in limited quantities and named after the season when the cows graze in the fields.

Today, the production of Summerfield is managed by the Botton Village team. The community is part of the broader Camphill Village Trust network, which supports individuals with learning disabilities, mental health issues, and other special needs. Located in the scenic North Yorkshire Moors, the community is self-sustaining and biodynamic, with over 70 residents who engage in various activities such as farming, cheese making and aging, running the local store, woodworking, and producing preserves and baked goods.