The Montgomery family
The Montgomery family have been farming the North & South Cadbury pastures for three generations, to make their delicious Montgomery Cheddar.
Jamie Montgomery’s Grandfather, Sir Archibald Langman, bought the family farm in 1911 and while so many others gave up during the World Wars, they continued to churn their cheese for many to enjoy.
The cheese making process has been passed down from generation to generation. Elizabeth Montgomery followed her father’s footsteps and took the reigns from Sir Archibald to ensure the same high-quality standards and unique recipe were followed. She continued to lead through the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s at a time when the growth of the supermarkets appeared to seriously threaten the future of unpasteurised cheddar.
But the famous Montgomery cheese survived and when Jamie Montgomery finally inherited the role of Master Cheesemaker from his mother, it coincided with the rise of beautiful artisan foods & independent delicatessens. It now holds its place proudly on the shelves whilst we as customers demand higher quality products and knowledge about the food we consume.
Jamie is committed to every small detail that goes into the production of his family made cheese – from the quality of the grass that his cows graze on, through to the taste and texture of the final product. While many farmers are changing their methods of farming across the country, Jamie has stuck to his guns and still farms in the same traditional way as his family before him.
Part of village daily life is seeing the 200 Friesian cows coming in from the fields ready for milking. His small team are there ready helping him to care for the stunning animals in the best way they can, which in turn produces the best tasting cheese.
Most cheeses are then matured for 12 months wrapped in muslin cloth on wooden shelves. Some are even matured for 18 months for that extra special Montgomery’s Cheddar, it is the epitome of traditional, handmade, unpasteurised Somerset cheddar.
Its deep, rich, nutty flavours have won worldwide acclaim and will continue to do so under the pride and attention of the Montgomery Family.