Premier Wedding Cheese Cakes

About cheese

When was cheese invented?

No matter how far archaeological finds go, there is evidence that cheese came into being in prehistoric times. Cheese can not really be said to have been "invented". This delicious food must have resulted from the simple observation that milk left in a container ends up by coagulating, even more if it is hot.

People living in areas where the climate changed seasonally would also have noticed the effect of temperature on this process: in warmer weather the milk would curdle faster than in the cold. This might be considered the first technological cheesemaking discovery.

There are hundreds of different types of cheese that can be differentiated both by the type of milk - raw, skimmed or pasteurised, and by the animal - cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, horse or camel. Taste even depends upon the diet of the animals!

Serving and Storage Tips

Unpasteurised cheese with a range of flavours should not be sliced until purchased otherwise it will start to lose its subtlety and aroma.
Keep the cheese in the same conditions in which it matures. Do not open your cheese wrappers until the day of the party and organising your cake.
If you have left over cheeses, keep the cheese wrapped in the waxed paper and place it in a loose-fitting food-bag so as not to lose humidity and maintain the circulation of air.
Wrap blue cheeses all over as mould spores spread readily not only to other cheeses but also to everything near.
Chilled cheeses should be taken out of the refrigerator to warm up for about half an hour before eating to allow the flavour and aroma to develop. In the case of your cheese cake, "split your tiers" into 2 cakes, decorate each half and pop back in a cool room. Bring back into room temperature just before you arrive.
Cheeses contain living organisms that must not be cut off from air. However it is important not to let a cheese dry out. Don't put "live" cheeses in airtight containers.
Do not store cheese with other strong-smelling foods. As a cheese breathes it will absorb other aromas and may spoil.
Wrap soft cheeses loosely. Use waxed or greaseproof paper rather than cling film.

In term of yor cake, you will need to request storage space at your venue or use our delivery insulated boxes. Your cake should be unwrapped and decorated a few hours before your party and left, if at all possible, in cold storage (perhaps in two sections ready to assemble upper layers just before your party starts). Ask your caterers to bring out your pre-decorated cake just before your guests arrive to give time for cheese to warm up a bit for maximum flavour.

Did you know?

Cheddar is named after the Cheddar Gorge caves in Somerset where the cheese used to be stored to ripen. Cheddar is one of the most widely made cheeses in the world. King Henry II declared Cheddar Cheese to be the best in Britain!
Cheese is made from milk and it takes around 10 litres of milk to make 1kg of cheese.
Cheese can be made from lots of different types of milk, such as buffaloes' milk, sheeps' milk and goats' milk; most of the cheese eaten in the UK is made from cows' milk.
Some cheeses, like Mature Cheddar, are stored for one year or longer before they are ready to eat. They are kept in special rooms and sometimes even caves!
There are over 700 different cheeses produced in Britain.
Shropshire Blue is not actually made in Shropshire, but Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.
Cheshire is one of the oldest British cheeses, and even gets a mention in the Domesday Book
Cornish Yarg came from a recipe found in a book in a farmer's attic - his name was Mr Gray (Yarg spelt backwards!)
Caerphilly was traditionally eaten by Welsh coal miners for their lunch.
Every spring sees locals in the village of Stilton, Peterborough, race along a course rolling giant, Stilton shaped wheels.
Cheese is packed with the protein that we all need to build and maintain our bodies. From hair to muscle, almost 20% of your body is made from protein.
A small matchbox-sized piece of Cheddar contains as much calcium as a third of a pint of milk.
Cheese is a great source of vitamin A, which you need for healthy skin and eyes and to keep your defense system working properly, helping to fight illnesses caused by nasty bugs and viruses.
Cheese is an excellent source of energy - a bite of cheese instead of a sugary drink keeps you and your teeth, on the go all day!
Each day our friends in France, Italy, Greece and Germany eat nearly twice as much cheese, per person, as we do.
Cheese is one of the most versatile foods around and can be used as a starter, a main course or as a dessert - you can't do that with many other foods! Visit the Recipes section of this website to find out more ideas of what to do with any leftovers.

(adapted from British Cheese Website)