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Mrs Kirkham and her Lancashire cheese

Caz Graham discovers the secrets, joys and challenges of making traditional raw milk cloth-wrapped Lancashire cheese with Graham Kirkham and his famous mum, Mrs Ruth Kirkham

Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire is the last traditional raw milk cloth-wrapped Lancashire cheese made all year round. Graham Kirkham learnt how to make it from his mum, she learnt from her mum and it’s made with the same starter culture and recipe Graham's grandmother used some 60 years ago.

Produced in a modern dairy next to the farm’s milking parlour in the Lancashire village of Goosnargh, it's now found on cheeseboards at Michelin star restaurants and sold in the most prestigious cheese shops around the UK and in the States.

In this programme, Mrs Kirkham - Ruth - tells Caz Graham about the tradition of Lancashire cheese-making and her son Graham, now in charge, explains how he never really planned to be a cheese-maker, and how he has to explain to customers that his mum is real, not just a made-up brand! He also shares the secrets, joys and challenges of making this traditional delicacy, the smearing of butter on the maturing cheeses to seal in moisture, how happy cows make better cheese and the rigours of ensuring food safety with raw milk.

Presented and produced by Caz Graham

Available now

22 minutes

Last on

Sun 10 Aug 2025 06:35

Broadcast

  • Sun 10 Aug 2025 06:35