The Truffler

The biggest cheeses in the world get together in Cheshire on Wednesday 26 July for the 103rd Nantwich International Cheese Show. Although they come from as far as New Zealand, most entries are British, and many owe more to the factory, sorry, creamery, than the farmhouse. But the world's largest international cheese fair attracts more than 1,500 entries in just over 100 categories, with lovely names like best crumbly territorial, best truckle or wheel, and, for the first time, best organic cheeses. The show is at Dorfold Hall, Chester Road, Nantwich (01298 26224). For the £8 admission price you can sample enough cheese to give you breath that'll make a cow back away.

The biggest cheeses in the world get together in Cheshire on Wednesday 26 July for the 103rd Nantwich International Cheese Show. Although they come from as far as New Zealand, most entries are British, and many owe more to the factory, sorry, creamery, than the farmhouse. But the world's largest international cheese fair attracts more than 1,500 entries in just over 100 categories, with lovely names like best crumbly territorial, best truckle or wheel, and, for the first time, best organic cheeses. The show is at Dorfold Hall, Chester Road, Nantwich (01298 26224). For the £8 admission price you can sample enough cheese to give you breath that'll make a cow back away.

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When was the last time you bought Caerphilly, Lancashire or Wensleydale cheese? If you're a southern Jessie and not susceptible to Wallace and Gromit's product placement, it might have been some time ago, for the market for regional British cheese has fallen by almost a third in three years, and only 20 per cent of it is bought south of Watford. Colin Hall, managing director of Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses, based in Lancashire, but whose Double Gloucester was supreme champion at Nantwich two years ago, is heading a campaign to put regional cheeses back on the board. He's canvassed the opinion of 200 leading figures in the world of food, including, ahem, the Truffler, who threw their weight behind British cheeses. Now we need to spread the word, and I don't mean Dairylea.

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Some chefs seem unable to resist stepping out of their kitchens to get in on the internet act. ClubChefDirect, however, stands out because it comes with the endorsement of some well-respected names not known for attending the opening of a packet of crisps. Philip Howard, Shaun Hill, Michel Roux Junior, Stephen Markwick from Bristol, Pierre Koffman and Richard Corrigan are some of the chefs contributing to the service, which delivers the produce they use in their restaurants, supplied by Heritage Fine Foods. You pay £100 a year and can then order fish, meat, and other top-class ingredients for recipes devised by the chefs. Delivery is free to members. They give step-by-step cooking instructions and the cost of cooking the dish if you order through ClubChefDirect. Members get a 5 per cent discount off all prices, a monthly magazine and discounts at participating restaurants.