Trio of World Cheese Awards for north Northumberland company

Doddington Dairy has been presented with three World Cheese Awards, the highest accolade which can be bestowed upon a cheese manufacturing company.
A Doddington Dairy cheese hamper.A Doddington Dairy cheese hamper.
A Doddington Dairy cheese hamper.

The well-known Admiral Collingwood and Doddington cheeses were both given a gold award, with Berwick Edge receiving a Bronze.

In 1993, the Maxwell farming family at North Doddington Farm, near Wooler, acknowledged that diversification was an essential step to take in maintaining their agricultural business. Together, Neill and his sister Margaret Ann Maxwell decided to make use of the high-quality milk produced from North Doddington’s dairy herd and go into the cheese-making business.

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Now, almost 25 years later, the company has a repertoire of seven hard, semi-soft and blue cheeses to choose from. Admiral Collingwood is washed in Newcastle Brown Ale and described as a close-textured cheese with strong flavour and pungent aroma. Doddington was the original eponymous cheese which is made from raw milk and traditional rennet, similar in recipe to English Leicester, but with caramel notes and a nutty flavour. Berwick Edge, named after the area of land where the cows graze, is similar to Dutch gouda, but with a robust flavour and lingering aftertaste.

Margaret Ann said: "We are thrilled that our cheese has been recognised at such a worldwide level. We have always maintained that quality and flavour should go hand in hand and, no matter what the size of company, these should not be compromised. We are a small, family-run business whose quality milk has resulted in the production of quality cheese and these awards are as much a testament to our excellent team of staff as for the produce itself.

"The making of cheese is not a speedy process. It requires patience, time to let the maturing process reach its optimum quality, and we believe that has gone a long way towards us achieving these awards."

With Christmas approaching, there are hampers and festive treats available to purchase from the Dairy. Visit www.doddingtondairy.co.uk or call 01668 283010.