I met up with Daventry cheese maker Gary Bradshaw to explore the award-winning Northamptonshire soft blue cheese he is responsible for producing.

A chance table guest at the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards brought us together and an invitation from Gary to see the inner workings of his cheese making enterprise took me to his Daventry unit recently.

Gary got into cheesemaking by accident.

He watched someone make cheese on the TV and said  ‘It can’t be that easy’. So he bought some ingredients and had a go at making his own cheese at home. That was how his cheese making operation began.

Fast forward ten years and the cheese Gary makes is proving popular, with every variation receiving recognition at the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.

Sourcing raw Jersey milk from Barn Owl Jerseys, based near Brackley, keeps the food miles low and supports a fellow Northamptonshire business. Seasonality in the milk due to the availability of grass throughout the year, means that the flavour profile of the cheese changes due to the fat content; it makes a true artisan product.

You may have heard of the different Blue cheeses that are made by Gary, all of which give a nod to Northamptonshire’s heritage and puts the county town on the map; Cobblers Nibble, Northamptonshire Blue, Shoe Town and Daventry Blue. All have a slightly different texture, taste maturation and appearance.

Personally my favourite was the creamy, spreadable Shoe Town which would lift any crusty bread or pasta dish.

Despite having a factory fire at his unit 12 months ago which ruined his Christmas orders, Gary’s business is flying, with new flavoured cheeses about to launch and supplying local businesses which include St Giles Cheese Shop, Whittlebury Hall and The Sheaf in West Haddon.

And I mustn’t forget to mention that Gary and his team run the Hamm Tun Fine Foods delicatessen in Long Buckby where anyone can go and purchase some of the locally produced cheese.

I’m a huge fan of this small local Daventry based business and wanted to share this story with you all.



You can find out more information by visiting: https://hammtunfinefoods.co.uk/