
After 57 years of practice, artisan cheesemaker Mary Quicke still considers herself a beginner. At surfing, that is: she isn’t as nimble as she’d like. But that is most definitely not the point. For her, time in the sea is play – and, having just returned from Cornish waves, she’s energised and exuberant as she shows me around the 1,090-hectare Devon estate of pasture and woodland farmed by her family since 1540.
Mary has played a pivotal role in the revival of true farmhouse Cheddar – her efforts recognised with an MBE – and she’s at the top of her game. “It’s magical: this is the first step of taking milk from a liquid to solid,” enthuses Mary, as she cuts and tastes a small slab of panna-cotta-like white curd, still warm from the vat. “It’s quite sweet, like a milk jelly. But in the pursuit of complexity, you can’t just have sweet – you need a bit of bitter, and that’s where lactic acid comes in. Big industrial cheesemakers make as much cheese in a day as we do in a year [about 200 tonnes], with no people on the production floor,” continues Mary, who regularly judges cheese competitions all over the world.
“Our team brings attention and intention to the process – we’re trying to find the most lovely cheese in that vat of milk by using our senses and judgements.” She outlines three ‘flavour families’ in the Quicke’s portfolio of cheeses: buttery and caramelly; sharp, oniony and grassy; meaty, brothy and umami. The youngest three-month-old cheese is buttery, while the two-year-old vintage Cheddar has complex caramel notes.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In

TOP 10 BEAUTIFUL WALKING TRAILS
Planning a major hike this year? We reveal the UK's most beautiful long-distance paths to explore in 2025

Free to feel good
We know time outdoors makes you feel better, but if you have a disability, getting out there isn't always easy. That's why charities like the Calvert Trust aim to give everyone the freedom of the countryside.

Vanishing fog
As new findings suggest fog may be disappearing from our world, Fergus Collins meets fog chaser Laura Pashby who treasures its power to transform landscapes - and ourselves

Smithfield's closure will be the end of an era, but it still has a future
What connects the great Victorian novelist Charles Dickens, the comedy actor TerryThomas and a branch of the Henson family?

Electric dreams
Could this new cycling route in the Shropshire Hills become a star of Britain's bikepacking scene? Matt Baird mounts an electric bike to navigate the hills, thrills and basilicas of the Marcher Castles Way

Up on the roof
Thatched roofs have been a part of the British countryside for 5,000 years. Tom Allan is one of a dwindling number of craftspeople making sure this ancient tradition remains a vital part of our rural life.

Sniffer dogs and tiny loos - the fight to save water voles gets serious
What do you do to discover how a much-loved but fast declining and elusive mammal is faring in its battle for survival along our rivers, streams and ditches? First, recruit hundreds of volunteers for look-out duties. Then call in specially trained detector dogs and build tiny floating loos.

RSPB WARNS AGAINST USING FLAT BIRD FEEDERS
The RSPB is reviewing its bird-feeder products over growing concerns about the spread of disease among garden birds

ANCIENT CORNWALL
England's wild far-western shores are scattered with mysterious ancient sites. Melanie O'Shea walks you back through time to the Celtic roots of Cornwall's ruggedly beautiful West Penwith peninsula

Famous terrier breeds
Despite their naturally combative nature, terriers make great pets, with most breeds described as affectionate, friendly, loyal or playful - or a mix of them all. James Fair details six key breeds