I always think there should be a GCSE in food provenance or the like to help our younger generations really know where and how our food is produced. Birditt has been visiting and documenting dairies all over the British Isles, looking at the food, people and landscapes dedicated to artisan and farmhouse cheeses. Over time, I had created a treasure trove of words and photographs (by this point I had found a camera to snap away with!

Birditt, the book takes readers on a journey through the stories, people, and landscapes dedicated to artisan and farmhouse cheeses. Farming – as many farmers and farmhouse cheesemakers are finding out – is arguably the most important stage in relation to the health of the land, animals and the consumers. The personal stories and warmth expressed by the author make the book feel like a conversation with a friend rather than a dry textbook.They are a friendly bunch these cheese folk, and I’m sure they would be happy to chat about their cheeses. Farmhouse cheese certainly does this; it’s a synergy between the soil on which the pasture grows, the animals that graze, the quality of milk produced and the maker using the milk to produce cheese.

However, as much as I moan about the production side of things, it opened up a world of food and drink as we visited local farmers markets and national food festivals selling our products. A Portrait Of British Cheese celebrates the excellence of artisan and farmhouse cheese in the British Isles, expressing it as a product of the land, its animals, and its people, offering a snapshot of rural life, traditions and delicious dishes.Factors like the health of the soil and the welfare and diet of the animals are things to consider in this case. The farmhouse cheesemakers I have visited work to the highest levels of animal welfare, and many are looking to become more sustainable with what they are putting onto the land and feeding their animals for the best possible milk for cheesemaking. With beautiful photography, hearty cheese based recipes, and a new insight into each of these wonderful artisans, this will be treasured by anyone with a love of cheese, the countryside and traditional cooking. It makes you truly admire the hard work of the cheese makers, appreciate the animals and reflect on where the food we eat comes from.

I found myself starting to collect a body of work (photographs and prose) on various cheesemakers across the British Isles, fascinated by their deep knowledge of their local landscape and ecosystem, and their care for their animals. From Lincolnshire Poacher to Stichelton, Baron Bigod to Brefu Bach, the book explores the diversity of cheeses and the communities that make them.

With A Portrait of British Cheese, I wanted to celebrate the excellence of cheese in the British Isles. It now also encompasses other rural creatives, sharing and supporting them as much as possible as we do in our online editorial, Stories within Our Isles. I want people to see Our Isles and be inspired themselves, to conserve the natural environment in a way that makes them happy and fulfilled. Farming forms the building blocks of food, and in terms of cheese, it’s the foundation for determining the quality of milk used for cheesemaking. The book shines a light on the industry’s rich heritage, community and, above all, its cheesemakers, looking at how, through a mixture of knowledge and intuition, science and artistry, they create their cheese.

I love trying regional food and travelling to different regions in the British Isles, so artisan cheese seemed to be the perfect food product that expressed the former and allowed me the excuse to travel.It highlights the wonderful diversity of people, scales and skills which characterise and bind together the emergent community of UK artisan cheese makers. The public's discovery and support for speciality cheeses has helped many producers to survive, and this book is a tribute to their hard work and dedication. With the recent challenges faced by small cheesemakers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this book is a timely reminder of the importance of supporting local, artisanal cheesemakers.