As you can imagine, being full-time self-employed, with a young family - spare time is hard to come by. So getting time to sit and have a cuppa is nigh-on impossible let alone writing a blog post. I wanted to let you all know that I haven't gone anywhere...
...except for being everywhere, it would seem!
Lots has happened in the last 12 months, not least getting settled with our 'cheese on wheels' trailer.
Back in November 2022 (after our family trip to France - see my last blog post) I was inspired by the set-up and how professional our local fromager
looked. After the gazebo was blown away at Bedford in high winds, it confirmed my decision and so off I went on the search for the right trailer. I eventualy found a deli-counter which was ideal for what we needed to grow the business - and thank you to the team at J and K Auto Products in Blisworth, we soon had her kitted out with the logon, name and all the cheesy puns!
I have also been busy in the cheese cave perfecting our award-winning cheeses and developing new products.
It was a bumpy few months getting the hang of driving it backwards into tight narrow pitches
at markets (usually in the dark) before we could really see its full potential at country shows and other festivals - it's safe to say it's not quite the all-terrain utility vehicle I was expecting but a mighty fine addition to the family it has been. Getting it in to place at the Buckingham Young Farmer's Show (above) was a challenge but we've now cut our teeth and there is much more to come in 2024.
It was at Buckingham Young Farmers Show too, that we first ventured into the world of TikTok - and now with a grand total of 310 followers we're not an overnight sensation but it was fun hitting 200,000 views with a Christmas cheese cutting masterclass - see it here! After successful outings at local events, markets and festivals throughout 2023, we plan to support as many of these again as we can this year as well as venturing a little further afield with some national events over the summer including the Cheese & Chilli Festivals... watch this space!
It was a bumpy few months getting the hang of driving backwards into tight narrow pitches at markets.
I have also been busy in the cheese cave perfecting our award-winning cheeses and developing new products, look out for our tunnel-aged blue cheese which should be ready and for sale in a few weeks (exciting!)
Your loyal support continues to blow me away - the online orders, subscriptions, gift boxes and more, means so much to me. As you know, my passion is supporting small, artisan British cheese-makers and so every time you order, you are helping them too and making a difference. And I am always open to suggestions and feedback - I would love to hear from you, don't hesitate to contact me, mark@cheeseontowcest.co.uk or even better, come and say hi at one of the markets or events and let us know what you would like to see more of in 2024.
As you know, my passion is supporting small, artisan British cheese-makers and so every time you order, you are helping them too.
Did you catch a glimpse of my cheesy grin on BBC's Escape to the Country last month? I don't think I'm quite there in terms of signing autographs but it was great to get a brief appearance at Buckingham Market. If you fancy a giggle, you can watch it again on catch-up here (13:51).
It's all good fun! And as always, there are plenty of ways to get your cheese fix. We have our March box coming up for delivery on Friday 8th March, which includes Isle of Mull Cheddar, Stinking Bishop (so many of you love this!), Pearl Las and Kidderton Ash. A great line-up, complete with crackers and chutney. There is still time to order yours here.
And if you are looking for a cheesy gift for somebody special, you can order a subscription on our website (a gift subscription includes a handmade cheese board and gift card).
That's all for now, folks! Thank you for reading and I promise not to leave it so long next time.