Event review by Sue Dix
On 25th June 11 lucky people were treated to a fascinating lecture by Dr. Richard Marshall, Senior Lecturer in Food Enterprise, Bath Spa University on the various methods of cheese manufacture accompanied by illustrating videos. These showed the processing stages and gave some indication of the changes that take place over time as the rennet and additional starter cultures began their work of transforming milk into cheese. We were given the opportunity to sample some of the various types of cheese which had been matured for different times and therefore had different flavour and texture profiles. The main focus however was on the nutritional profile and the positive effects that cheese can have on the diet if eaten in moderation.
Those of us who are cheese lovers came out of the evening with enough information to relieve any guilt feelings that we may have had in the past about eating a food with a relatively high fat content. We now know that the other nutrients absorbed make a worthwhile contribution to a good mixed diet.
The cheese was accompanied by wines chosen to complement the samples so a very jolly evening event was enjoyed by all.