My most recent cheese discoveries are Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire (I think I've mentioned it before): firm, rich and tangy, not your typical bog-standard crumbly Lancashire (nowt wrong with that, of course), and Kit Calvert's Wensleydale. I like any kind of Wensleydale but this one isn't like the others. It's creamier and more complex. I believe that it was that great dalesman Kit Calvert who rescued the Wensleydale creamery from extinction. What a man! His story is very romantic and well worth a quick google.

The legendary Mary Quicke, who once personally sold me a pound of the superb Quicke's extra mature cheddar in her farm shop in Devon, was awarded the MBE. I think Ruth Kirkham is equally deserving. I think I'll write to the Queen!