Salt has to be added to cheese for several reasons. The first is to slow and stop the acidification of the cheese (I’ll cover the general principles of cheesemaking in a later post when I do my first domestic make). The salt also helps to draw more whey out of the cheese and it helps to protect the outside of the cheese by preventing bacteria and mould from forming on the surface.

The course is given by Paul Thomas who, as I have subsequently discovered, is a genuine and well-respected cheese guru. Paul’s genius lay in getting us to start making cheese immediately while he explained the science (and artistry) behind good cheese making.

Of course, my real passion is cheese but for some reason I was shying away from the notion of making it. It seemed too unrealistic, too fantastical. Instead I pondered over whether I could be a cheese distributor, bringing rare artisanal cheeses from the West Country to a wider, discerning audience.