Suffolk, England

Summer is a great time of year for eating outside, with lots of people spending their weekends and evenings going out for picnics or barbeques. Among our more popular products at Local Food Direct over these months are our cheeses.

With nearly 20 different varieties on our website at the minute, youll be spoilt for choice. Let me introduce you to a few of our cheese suppliers and tell you about a few of our best-selling cheeses.

Mrs Temples Cheeses are famous throughout Norfolk and Suffolk. The methods that Catherine Temple uses to make her cheeses have been handed down from her mother and grandmother, so have definitely been both tried and tested! The cows that produce the milk are the familys own herd so you can be sure that everything is from Norfolk. One of the most popular of Mrs Temples cheeses is the Walsingham cheese, which has been described as a cross between Wensleydale and Cheddar great for eating on its own but fantastic in salads, or melted on a burger.

Across the border, Suffolk Farmhouse Cheeses are run by Catherine, a qualified Veterinary surgeon, and Jason, who worked in the dairy industry for over 20 years. They bought their dairy in 2007 after working hard for three years previous to gain all the skills needed to run it. Their Suffolk Blue cheese is rich and creamy, and made with vegetarian rennet. Fantastic with wine or bread.

Back in Norfolk, Ferndale Norfolk Farmhouse Cheeses are an award-winning company based in Little Barningham. In 2007 they won the silver and bronze medals in the New Cheeses category of the British Cheese Awards. Their Norfolk Dapple is a mature cheddar-type cheese. While it is harder and dryer than many other cheeses, it has a fantastic flavour.

Rodwell farm dairy didnt produce cheese until fairly recently. The farm was always a dairy producing milk and butter but never cheese - until 2006. Their 6 month matured Shipcord cheese is similar to a good cheddar but has the lasting flavour of some alpine cheeses. This is another of the award-winning cheeses that are available on the Local Food Direct website.

Willow Farm Dairy produces cheese made from ewes milk rather than cows milk. Based near Wymondham in Norfolk, Jane Murray who runs the farm has a herd of 54 British Friesland dairy ewes. The brie-style Norfolk White Lady is a firm favourite for many and is great on a local cheese board with grapes and crackers.

For something even more different, try Fielding Cottage in Breckland Valley who make fantastic cheeses from their herd of goats. Their soft goats cheese, rolled in herbs is delicious spread on freshly baked bread give it a try!

These 6 fantastic producers that feature of Local Food Direct have a wide range of cheeses available for you to try this summer. Keep an eye out for more seasonal cheese being added as well.