Say goodbye to chocolate eggs this Easter and say hell to Butlers Farmhouse Cheese W'egg'dges!

I haven't been able to buy my wife a chocolate Easter egg for many years since she developed an allergy to chocolate. 

I have tried to source non-chocolate eggs with no success. Until now, that is! How so? Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses has the answer I need.

Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses is famed for its range of “Cheester” Easter eggs at this time of year, but this Easter, the rural Lancashire cheesemakers are changing things up a bit.

They are introducing the Blacksticks W’EGG’DGE - the cheese that thinks it’s an Easter egg. 

The fourth-generation family cheesemakers had to, with considerable regret, put their annual Easter egg production on hold after a devastating fire at their offices and packing site last November. 

However, Butlers have put their shoulders to the (cheese) wheel and they are 'crazy busy' handmaking their full range of hard, soft and blue cheeses at the dairy (luckily on a separate site unaffected by the heartbreaking fire), to replenish their lost cheese stocks.

In an egg-cellent twist and in response to Blacksticks’ loyal fanbase flooding Butlers’ inbox asking when the egg will be launched, Butlers have got as close to its most popular Cheester egg flavour, Blacksticks, as it can, with the Blacksticks W’EGG’DGE, meaning cheese lovers can still enjoy Blacksticks on their Easter cheeseboards. 

The Blacksticks W’EGG’DGE (150g) wants to be an egg so much, it has a picture of one on the outside of the pack, but inside you will find the original wedge that is known and loved for its distinct orange colour, delicate blue bite and indulgent and divine creamy texture. The Blacksticks W’EGG’DGE is whatever you want it to be, and it's available to buy now from Butlers’ online cheese store, £4 plus postage. You will find their online cheesemonger's shop here https://butlerscheeses.co.uk/shop

Also returning for Easter is the ever-popular Perfect British Cheeseboard for two (155g). This letterbox cheeseboard includes three showstopping, Great Taste Award winning cheeses; Blacksticks (blue), Button Mill (soft) and Sunday Best (hard). £6 plus postage Butlers’ online cheese store delivered direct from the dairy to your front door. 

Blacksticks fans can also keep their eyes peeled for a range of exciting products coming very soon. Whether it’s a mid-week sandwich, summer BBQ or a cheeky snack, Blacksticks will have you (and your bread or crackers!) covered. 

Top family Lancashire cheesemakers reap rewards

Famed fourth-generation Lancashire family cheesemakers, Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses have scooped a stunning 26 awards at the prestigious International Cheese & Dairy Awards (ICDA) 2023.

Cementing Butlers' credentials as the pioneers of high quality British farmhouse cheese, Butlers won awards across its blue, hard and soft varieties including cow's, sheep's and goat's milk. The award haul is Butlers' best ever at the annual ICDA show, having won 19 awards in 2022. 

Key awards include a trophy for the Best Ewes Milk Cheese for Parlick Brie, and Gold for Parlick Olive. Butlers is the biggest British cheesemaker and supplier of sheep's milk cheese in the UK, and is driving a resurgence in popularity of sheep's milk cheese. 

Gold awards were also given for Mrs Butlers Creamy in the Creamy Lancashire Block cheese category; Mature your Own Blacksticks in the packaging category, Beacon Blue in the blue veined goats category and Kidderton Ash in the vegetarian soft category.

Matthew Hall, who is the fourth-generation owner at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses said, “The ICDA is a key calendar date for cheesemakers globally, and to be recognised with these accolades across our range of hard, blue and soft cheeses is absolutely fantastic and deserved recognition for the hard work of our talented team. As a 90-year old Lancashire family business, we're leading the British cheese renaissance in the UK, it's a really exciting place to be, and there is still so much more to come!"

Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses was founded in 1932 when Richard and Annie Butler made just a handful of Lancashire cheeses in their family kitchen. Butlers produce more than 1,000 tonnes of farmhouse cheese annually, provide employment for in excess of 100 people, are suppliers to all major UK retailers and also operate their own dedicated online cheese store which delivers nationwide. Butlers is currently recruiting in its production and engineering team, for more information visit butlerscheeses.co.uk/pages/careers 

butlerscheeses.co.uk

N-ewe Listings for Parlick

Fourth-generation family cheesemakers, Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses, is continuing to drive the British cheese renaissance with a trio of new listings for Parlick. 

With three hard and soft cheeses in the range, Sainsbury's has Parlick Original (from 17 May), Waitrose will stock Parlick Brie (from 26th July) and Parlick Original and Parlick Olive are available in Morrisons and Booths. RRP £3.50, 150g.

The full Parlick range is also available to buy at Butlers' online cheese store. All orders are delivered to homes across the country direct from their dairy.

Parlick takes its name from Lancashire's Parlick Fell, which is just five miles from Butlers' rural Lancashire dairy. Butlers handmake Parlick with fresh ewe's milk, giving the cheese a clean, fresh, nutty-sweet flavouring.

Naturally nutritious and rich in protein, sheep's milk contains all 10 essential amino acids, making it a 'complete' protein source. Many find it easier to digest than cow's or goat's because of its whey protein content. It's health benefits like this that are contributing to its growing popularity, as Matthew Hall, fourth-generation owner at Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses, explains: “Sheep's milk is a traditional milk that suits modern-day life. We're seeing a strong resurgence in the popularity of sheep's milk cheese driven by the health conscious, as well as fans of quality British farmhouse cheese.

“We've had hundreds of messages from our customers telling us how much they love Parlick the minute they taste it. Many find it similar, but perhaps a little creamier than cow's milk cheese, and not as strong in taste or aroma as goat's. 

“Our new supermarket listings mean more people can try, and love Parlick, but it also means we're able to awaken new shoppers to the quality, flavour and excitement of British speciality cheeses across the fixture, and that's really exciting for me as we continue to pioneer British cheesemaking in everything we do."

Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses has been handmaking specialist British hard, blue, and soft cheese with milk from its own herd since 1932. It is now the biggest British cheesemaker and supplier of sheep's milk cheese in the UK.

For more information visit www.butlerscheeses.co.uk.