'Cheese the day' at Cheshire’s Lion Salt Works Museum’s CheeseFEAST Fest

27 Sep 2019 11:47
Published by: Scott Callan

Dismiss the dark days of autumn and find time to ‘unrind’ at a two-day boutique festival for cheese lovers, being held at Cheshire’s award-winning Lion Salt Works Museum, near Northwich, on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 November. This ticketed event, running from 10.30am - 5pm, gives visitors the chance to enjoy a day-long programme of fascinating cheese talks, demonstrations and tastings for just £8 per person. Parking is free.

At 7pm on Saturday 16 November, the Museum will also host a fun and quirky ‘Periodic Table of Cheese Challenge’. This unique and rarely-available cheese challenge is a fun, up-beat night of cheese-tasting.  At just £10 per ticket, this event is fun for anyone who likes cheese as well as serious cheese buffs. CheeseFEAST is sponsored by Barratt and David Wilson Homes, North-West. Tickets for these events are available by calling the Lion Salt Works Museum on 01606 275066 or online at www.ticketsource.co.uk

Both CheeseFEAST days will feature cheese-themed cookery demonstrations and a tour around a specially-sourced exhibition of archive cheese and dairy implements from Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Museums. The fascinating exhibition will surprise and amuse with quirky tales about Cheshire’s dairy and cheese industry and how salt was a key ingredient in its success. In an exclusive tie-up with Aardman Animations, the exhibition also features the original model of ‘The Cheese Tent’ from the film ‘Wallace & Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit’. The temporary exhibition will be displayed in the historic museum, one of the last open-pan, salt-making sites in the world and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

On Saturday, the author of ‘Great British Cheeses’, Jenny Lindford will speak about her book and in the afternoon, Dan Akers, the inventor of the ‘Periodic Table of Cheese Challenge’ will talk about his inspiration for inventing the challenge that will be held that evening. During the day, there will also be a talk by Cheshire’s Reaseheath College, the UK industry-leader in cheese-making and dairy courses. The Museum is pleased to be featuring this challenge in the year in which UNESCO is celebrating the 150th year of the Periodic Table and Mendeleev’s contribution to its structure.  On Sunday, in addition to activities such as a cookery demonstration, there will be talks by award-wining Joseph Heler Cheeses of Nantwich and Godfrey C Williams & Son from Sandbach, purveyors of fine food for five generations. Cheese specialists, regularly holding over 200 cheeses, Godfrey C Williams & Son are Cheshire’s oldest Cheese Factor*, having regularly selected and traded Cheshire Cheese since before 1875. The family-business also has a direct connection with the Lion Salt Works.

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Wellbeing at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “The Lion Salt Works Museum is known for its imaginative and fun events and this one sounds as though it will appeal to anyone with a taste for cheese. Cheshire is not only known for its famous Cheshire cheese but also the quality of its cheese manufacturers. Almost all cheese has salt in it, so this is a clever way of bringing together two of our county’s specialities – salt and cheese. It promises to be a really interesting and tasty weekend and we welcome everyone along to this ‘grate’ event.”

Lynton Dudgeon, Sales Director, Barratt and David Wilson Homes North-West, said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring this exciting new event. With almost 70% of adults in the UK eating cheese at least twice a week*, I think this festival promises to be a hit with both cheese lovers and people who would like to know more about one of Cheshire’s most famous exports.”

You may be interested in