Our selfless expeditions in search of superlative foods and ingredients worthy of The Find, continue to uncover wonderful riches. Cheltenham is an epicurean epicentre and Cotteswold Dairy, my most recent Find of the Month, illustrates the abundance available to dedicated explorers.
The importance of localness when selecting suppliers is a guiding principle of The Find and the Cotteswold Dairy fulfils this requirement admirably, being based in Tewkesbury and sourcing its delicious organic milk from three farms, all within 15 miles.
In the coffee cosmos we inhabit, the cow is almost as important as the bean. In coffee, milk must offer the perfect balance of sweetness from the lactose, the optimal mix of proteins for the goodness and the foam, and just enough butter fat to impart a delicious creamy texture. Following much experimentation, Cotteswold Dairy’s organic milk exceeded our expectations, allowing us to focus our minds onto the vital matter of provenance.
The ability to name which cows your milk came from, how many days per year they get to graze in the lush fields of Gloucestershire, and if the farmer was paid a fair price for producing such excellent milk is as imperative to us as being able to confirm on which plantation or finca your coffee was grown. Once more, Cotteswold surpassed our hopes.
Last, but certainly not least, we considered the human factor. The Dairy was established in 1938 by Harry Workman, with a 30 gallon milk round and, as a child in the 1970s, I fondly remember receiving our daily milk delivery from Cotteswold. Sadly, Harry died earlier this year aged 98. However, the business is still run by the family and still produces the highest quality milk from local farms.
It was a delight to be shown around the Dairy by Roseanne McEwan and Billy Robinson, and we, in turn, look forward to offering you the delight of Cotteswold milk with your coffee at The Find.
Great to see free range milk champions the Workman family @CotteswoldDairy featured in the @FarmersGuardian
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