CHRISTMAS CHEESE & SELECTIONS

Established in 1913, Colton Bassett and District Dairy was the initiative of 5 local farmers who felt they would work better as a co-operative than as competitors.  The local cheese, Stilton, was made using their milk only and to this day, 3 of those original farms still own the Dairy and their milk is still used.

One of the producers whose Comte we regularly select is the Fruitière de Vernierfontaine, a cooperative on the first plateaux of the Jura massif that works in a way most Comté producers simply don’t.  Fewer inputs, slower systems, cleaner milk. It’s a deliberate model that creates far more depth and stability in the vat.

As the head of Rivoire Jacquemin, Veronique has a hugely influential role in what is traditionally a masculine field: Comte production, affinage and promotion.  Her great grandfather Alix Jacquemin established the company and indeed was one of a few individuals to create the role of Comte maturer in 1880.