Get ready for bumper cheese fair in Melton

There will be plenty of cheese to try at the 7th Melton Artisan Cheese Fair PHOTO: Tim Williams

The UK’s largest dedicated cheese fair on Saturday and Sunday, at Melton’s Cattle Market, will feature around 65 artisan cheesemakers and 300 cheeses.

Only the smaller artisan cheese makers are allowed to attend the event with producers coming from afar as Cornwall, the west of Ireland, the east of England and Dumfries in Scotland. Many of them produce the UK’s rarest and most sought after cheeses – most not often found on the local cheese counter.

There are nine traditional territorial or regional cheeses in Britain and most will be on sale and to taste at the fair, including real Cheddar produced in its home county of Somerset from Keen’s and Montgomery, Single Gloucester from Godsells, Cheshire from Bournes, Caerphilly from Caws Cenarth, Lancashire from Kirkhams and of course, Farmhouse Red Leicester from Sparkenhoe.

There will also be lots of Stilton from the local dairies as Melton is, after all, the home of Stilton Cheese. Two other Leicestershire cheeses - Colwick and Rutland Slipcote - will also be available from Belvoir Ridge Dairy at the fair.

A full programme of talks, tastings and demonstrations have been lined up as well as music from the Melstrum Ukulele Band and local gospel choir, EAGA, runner up in the ‘Gareth’s Best Choir’ TV series.

The event runs from 10am to 4pm on both days. Tickets cost £4 in advance or £5 on the day, with children under 16 going free. Go to www.artisancheesefair.co.uk for details.