The Mawbray Cheese Company was started by former herdsman-turned-chef-turned- cheesemaker Adrian McGreavy after he was told how good his homemade cheeses were.
His range quickly became popular, and was stocked by the Cheese deli in Keswick, Shills at Cockermouth, local pubs and farm shops. When he landed a job as chef at the Hundith Hill Hotel, he stopped production to create a proper cheese room at his home in Mawbray.
Work is now complete and, following approval and certificates from health and safety officers, he and wife Janet are now looking to resume production.
He said: “We started to produce cheese more seriously about six months ago, but I’ve been making it at home for years.
“I thought I would give it a go and it took off really well. Then I got a job as a chef and had to put it on the back burner while I settled into the job.
“We stopped just before Christmas, but hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will get it going again.
“It is pretty low-level, but we are hoping to expand it over the coming year.”
All the cheeses are named after local places such as Pelutho (a halloumi-style cheese), Allonby crumbly (Lancashire-like) Criffel View Blue (Stilton-style) and Salta (Cumbria’s version of Feta).
Milk is supplied by a neighbouring farm at Goodyhills and the range of eight cheeses are all hand made.
As well as making the cheeses, he also creates wedding cheese ‘cakes’ and will be providing a buffet and outside catering service.
Adrian added: “We were surprised and delighted at how popular our cheeses were and as well as resuming business with all our original customers, we will be looking to take on new customers.”
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