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Busy working on my new BC home renovations and a 'heavier than ever' snow fall this year temporarily transformed the area into a wonderful Winter wonderland and surprised me and a few of the locals. Sadly most of my TV gear was still in boxes but I managed to snap a few quick views on the iphone. Climate change predictions are going to mean hotter Summers and cooler Winters and a lot more unpredictable weather from here on out, it's up to all of us to make a difference.
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Updated: Apr 10, 2022
Man Eats Wild is a new action packed television adventure series developed my Michael Ross Robinson from an idea by host and reformed hunting guide Mario Kalpou. The series was designed to showcase ethical hunting and promote the sustainable management of wild food.
Filmed in stunning locations across the globe, from the remote peaks of New Zealand to Australia's unforgiving Northern Territory and spectacular Barrier Reef, on a search for the most extreme wild food adventures.
Updated: Apr 5, 2022
Cheese Slices Series, a TV show developed by Michael Ross Robinson and host Will Studd spans series 1-8 and totals over 60 international episodes on the world's finest artisanal cheese. The focus of Cheese Slices was on the world's benchmark cheeses, in particular raw milk, handmade, regional cheese. Here's a quick rundown of some of the final series 8 episodes.
Shepherds Cheeses of the Pyrenees (Spain & France)
After more than a decade Will Studd returns to the Pyrenees Mountains, home to some of the world’s oldest shepherd’s cheeses and one of the last strongholds of traditional artisan cheese making in Western Europe. Beginning his journey in the Basque region of Spain, Will introduces his daughter Ellie to cheese maker Peio Etxeleku of Agour dairy. Peio shows off his new cheese facility in the Iraty Valley and discusses the many challenges now facing the regions traditional Cheesemakers.
From Spain, Will and Ellie travel to Béarn in the French Midi-Pyrenees to meet up with Dominque Bouchait, a charismatic local affineur, who is passionate about supporting local farmers. Together they visit a shepherd, who still makes traditional raw ewe’s milk cheese on his family farm, high in the mountains. This episode wraps up in the soft green valleys of Le Couserans in the Ariege region, where the Jean Faup family continue to produce the region's famous Bethmale cheese.
Will and Ellie discover that with mounting pressures to industrialize production, and the introduction of cow’s and goats, the wonderful artisan cheese traditions of the Pyrenees face major challenges in the future, particularly those made by shepherds’ from raw milk.
The Cheesemakers of Vermont (Vermont, USA)
When it comes to innovative American cheese makers, the state of Vermont has more than it’s fair share. The foundations of the dairy industry began here in beautiful New England almost three centuries ago and by a strange coincidence the region has become the center of an exciting new revolution in artisan cheese making.
Will Studd originally visited here ten years ago and has come back to see exactly what’s changed. First stop is Jasper Hills farm, where brothers Andy and Mateo Kehler have created a spectacular maturation facility and helped lead the artisan cheese revolution with the production of the their highly successful Cabot clothbound cheddar. Will and Ellie sample the famous cheddar and also the dairy’s delicious Baylee Hazen Blue cheese and discuss the many government challenges the dairy has faced in recent years and their close bond with the local economy.
A decade ago when Will first visited Vermont, he made a quick visit to a small cheese making operation run by Allison Hooper and her business partner Bob Reese. At that time it was known as Vermont butter and cheese but since then they have renamed the company Vermont Creamery and made some very impressive changes. Ellie and Will tour Allison’s new state of the art dairy and try her latest surface ripened goats cheeses.
Camembert and the Normandy Cheeses (France)
Revisiting one of his favourite regions in Europe Will Studd explores the challenges facing the traditional raw milk cheesemakers of Normandy, long renowned for its quality dairy products. Will introduces his daughter Ellie to the famous benchmark cheese Camembert de Normandie and together they visit the last remaining organic, farmhouse producer of this iconic cheese.
Will catches up with his old friend Thierry Graindorge, a third generation cheese maker whose family began making Livarot and now produce the full range of Normandy’s AOC cheeses, including the distinctive heart shaped Neufchatel, which is actually the oldest soft mould ripened cheese in the region. Thierry has been a great defender of Normandy’s traditional raw milk cheeses and explains some of the complex challenges that the regional cheese makers have faced and delivers a glimpse into the future of Normandy cheese.
Cheeses of la Mancha and Cabrales (Spain)
The high plateau of La Mancha, immortalised by Cervantes in the story of Don Quixote, covers much of central Spain and was once the base of a thriving wool industry that dominated the European market for 500 years. After two centuries of decline, there is now a renewed interest in sheep farming, but the reason for this is no longer wool, but Ewe’s milk cheese. The most famous cheese made here is Manchego and Will and Ellie visit several farms that still make raw milk Manchego using traditional methods.
From the high plains of La Mancha, Will and Ellie head north west into the spectacular Pico’s de Europa mountains to find Cabrales, the most famous Spanish Blue cheese. The way this distinctive blue cheese is made and matured has hardly changed in thousands of years and there are now only about forty artisan and farmhouse producers remaining. Will and Ellie visit a local home dairy to see how the cheese is made and then tour one of the rustic maturation caves hidden in the mountains surrounding the village.
Cheddar Cheese of England (United Kingdom)
Will Studd and daughter Ellie visit England’s South West, a region famous for producing the world’s finest cheddar cheese. After a quick stop at the cheese pavilion of the Bath & West Show to speak with the Head Cheese Judge they travel to Quicke’s Farm and meet the effervescent Mary Quicke, to sample some of her delectable cheddar cheeses.
From Quickes, it’s off toward the small village of Totnes, where you’ll find Jersey cows grazing on the 500 acre Sharpham Estate. Since 1981 Sharpham have been making award winning cheeses and wines and Will and Ellie spend the afternoon sampling some of the Estate’s finest.
Another Dairy that’s been consistently winning prizes in the UK is Lynher Dairy in West Cornwall. Their innovative use of Nettle leaves led to the creation of a cheese called Yarg, now regarded by many as a regional benchmark. Ellie tries her hand at decorating a Nettle Yarg cheese, whilst Will tours the dairies maturation rooms.
To cap off this UK journey, Will takes Ellie to meet his old friend Jamie Montgomery, who makes one of the nations Benchmark cheddars and has been busy perfecting some very exciting new regional cheeses.
Roquefort, Revisiting the King of the Blues
Roquefort is the most significant of all blue cheeses, it’s one of the world’s oldest cheeses and one of the few blue cheeses still made from raw milk. To find out what’s changed since his last visit to the famous village of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, Will and Ellie catch up with the makers of Papillon Roquefort, one of the most respected and well-known export brands from the region.
Another of the finest boutique Roquefort producers is Carles and Will takes Ellie into the companies iconic limestone caves to speak to Delphine Carles and sample some of her delectable blue cheeses.
