The Book & Bucket Cheese Company, based in Cranborne, Dorset, has been named among the winners at the World Cheese Awards, which was held in Oviedo, Spain on Wednesday 3rd November.
Standing out from the crowd as thousands of entries were judged at the city’s awe-inspiring Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos, The Book & Bucket Company’s ‘Shakespeare’ Cheese impressed some of the world’s leading experts to collect this award. The Book & Bucket Cheese Company was awarded a coveted GOLD award for its ‘Shakespeare’ cheese (a Brie style cheese made with local sheep’s milk) and is the only cheesemaker in Dorset to win an award this year. With more nations than ever represented at the World Cheese Awards this year, The Book & Bucket Cheese Company has gained an internationally recognised seal of approval from a truly global cheese event, which returned to Spain this year to form part of the Asturias Paraíso Natural International Cheese Festival 2021.
The Book & Bucket Cheese Company was founded in 2019 with a small range of sheep’s milk artisan cheeses, quickly filling an order book full of local hospitality, delis and farm shops. When the Pandemic hit in March 2020, and the order book suddenly fell quiet as hospitality closed overnight, The Book & Bucket Cheese Company were contacted by a local farmer who was desperate for help with excess cow’s milk destined for the drain. Peter Morgan, founder of The Book & Bucket Cheese Company, decided to use the time with reduced orders to develop a brand new range of cow’s milk cheeses and over the next year, despite the Pandemic, doubled their range of cheeses. Now, in 2021, The Book & Bucket Cheese Company are busier than ever and a huge three-quarters of their range are now award-winning. Multiple cheeses have been awarded Great Taste awards, Taste of the West Awards, Artisan Cheese Awards and now the prestigious accolade of a World Cheese Awards Gold Award.
Peter Morgan explains: “I cannot express the pride I have in our small artisan company and incredible team. To achieve this global recognition for a dairy that has been making cheese for less than three years is unbelievable.
“As a self-taught cheesemaker to have my name alongside some of the Cheesemaking royalty is something I never dreamed of. A special mention must also go to my wife, who has been with me on every step of the journey, and also to my Business partners who kept the belief during a torrid 18 months of lockdowns and setbacks.”
The 33rd edition of the World Cheese Awards was bigger and more international than ever before, featuring over 4,000 entries for the first time. The competing cheeses represented 45 different countries, including recent additions such as India, Guatemala, Japan and Colombia, as well as established cheesemaking nations such as France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. All entries were judged in a single day, as 250 experts from 38 different countries considered their appearance, texture, aroma and flavour. Bronze, Silver, Gold and Super Gold accolades were awarded during the morning session before the Super Golds were reassessed to find this year’s Top 16. The International Super Jury, featuring the great and good of the global cheese community, then debated the best cheeses on the planet in front of a live audience, before crowning this year’s World Champion Cheese.
