Episode 114: Kate Arding on British Cheese History

On this episode of Cutting the Curd, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger are joined by Kate Arding of the American Cheese Society. Kate is also the founder of Culture Magazine, and British farmstead cheese expert. Learn about the decline of artisanal British cheeses after the Industrial Revolution. Hear about mechanized cheese production, and the practice of coloring cheese. How did Neal’s Yard Dairy revive the British cheesemaking? Learn more about the role of distributors in the cheese business, and how they help to popularize small producers. Tune in to find out more about Kate’s work with American cheese, including a delicious cheese accident that occured during her time at Cowgirl Creamery! This episode has been sponsored by Susty Party.

“Farmhouse cheeses were increasingly on the back burner [after the industrialization of food]. The methods of production and efficiency for cheap food were eclipsing flavor.” [5:36]

“A lot of the attention understandably gets put on the producers… You can be making the best cheese in the world, but unless you have the other links in the chain in place i.e. the retailers who are going to act as the translator to the consumer- all of these things have to me in alignment in order for it all to work.” [23:14]

— Kate Arding on Cutting the Curd

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