Cheese-lovers set to head to Melton

The Artisan Cheese Fair, at the Stockyard on the livestock market site, will feature the produce of more than 50 of the best British and Irish cheesemakers.

Visitors will get the chance to sample and buy more than 200 cheeses, including some of the UK’s rarest and most sought after products with many of them not often found on the local cheese counter.

As well as cheese, there will also be traditional Melton Mowbray pork pies, cider, cakes, beer, chocolate, wine, charcuterie, and much more, on sale.

There is also a full programme of demonstrations and workshops including how to make your own cheese and butter making for children while the theatre will host a cheesemonger demonstrating a recipe with cheese and a cheese retailer will show you how to taste it with samples.

An award winning gospel choir and other musicians will provide entertainment with a variety of street food for those who get hungry during the festival. It runs from 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Organiser, Matthew O’Callaghan, said: “We are looking at one of our largest cheese fairs in recent years with around 60 cheesemakers from across the UK and Ireland.

"Between them they make between 250 and 300 types of cheese.

"And or course there are a lot more stands selling other food as well.”

Winners of our competition offering pairs of tickets to five lucky readers are as follows:

Rebecca Scoble. of Lambert Close, Melton; Dylan Pugh, of Queensway, Melton; Gordon Wilde, of Thames Drive, Melton; Carla Stapleton, of Pump Lane, Asfordby; Gaelle Bailiss, of Ankle Hill, Melton.

Organisers should have already contacted the winners and emailed their e-tickets to them.

You can pay on the gate or go to www.meltonfestivals.co.uk/artisan-cheese-fair to buy tickets online.

The winners of this year’s Artisan Cheese Awards will be presented at a special supper in Melton on Saturday.

Mr O’Callaghan commented: “The Awards were the largest we have held to day with over 500 entries, 140 of whom came from Ireland.

"A record number of judges, over 80, chomped their way through all the cheese to reach a Supreme Champion.

"They included Chief Buyers from M&S, Waitrose, Tesco, Fortnum & Masons and most of the leading cheese wholesalers and retailers.”