The cheese is made with pasteurised milk to which starter and vegetarian rennet are added to form the curds and whey in large galvanised tanks known as Cheese vats. The curds are cut and the whey is drained away to provide calf and pig feed and also to be used in the production of the farms own butter.
Once this has happened the curds are cut and milled and then mounded into cylinder moulds, each pieced to allow moisture to disperses for then left to mature on wooden shelves for up to 4 months.
The smoking of the cheese takes place once the cheeses are fully matured and formed by placing the cheeses into a smoker where they sit for several hours to allow the oak smoke from beneath to permeate and penetrate the cheese giving it a delightfully rich and distinctive flavour and a noticeable dark brown rind.
The smoking of cheese was not only for the taste but more importantly as a way of storing the cheese for longer periods of time and acting as a preservative.
