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Many parallels may be drawn between the cheese industry in Great Britain and the United States, especially as they have progressed in the past century. Of course, the traditions of cheesemaking extend back much further in the British Isles, at least by a thousand years, and the geography's size and continuity are but a microcosm of that to be found in the U.S. (the whole of the British Isles is roughly the size of New England), but the parallels remain nevertheless. For one thing, English cheesemaking traditions and knowledge were among the first to be brought to and implemented here in the colonies, and England's most famous cheese, Cheddar, is one of the most widely produced and consumed cheeses in America, although most of it is light years away from traditional farmhouse versions (but then so is most of the Cheddar produced in the U.K.). The similarities that have shaped our modern cheese industry began in the early decades of the 20th century -- between the great wars in England and after World War II in America -- when the standardization, centralization (especially in the U.K.), and industrialization of cheeses began in earnest. The technology gleaned from having to feed millions of troops overseas, as well as new standards of hygiene in the factories led to a homogenization of traditional cheeses that heretofore had been made on the farm as part of the daily routine of dairy farmers. Fortunately, the parallels continue on into modern times as traditional cheesemaking has made a resounding comeback on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In this regard, British cheesemakers have clearly led the way, inspiring a whole generation of dairy farmers, cheesemakers, and cheesemongers over here to hand make artisanal cheeses, many from the milk of the cheesemakers' own herds. One such traditional English cheese that has made its way into modern times and onto our tables is
Farmhouse Lancashire, a light-colored, crumbly, tangy cheese renowned for its melting properties. Lancashire County sits high in the northwest part of England, not so far south of the Scottish border. It is above Cheshire and just to the west of Yorkshire, and is covered with forests and pristine grazing land. Farmhouse Lancashire as made by artisans like the Kirkhams from the milk of their Friesian cows at Beesley Farm always emanates from unpasteurized milk, and is produced via a technique involving the combination of the milkings of up to a three-day period. This creates an interesting, complex flavor as all the different milks are ripening at slightly different rates. Farmhouse Lancashire is stored in cloth-wrapped cylinders similar to those of traditional Cheddar. Because of its superb melting ability, Lancashire is a first choice for "cheese on toast" as the British say, as well as for a Welsh rarebit (or rabbit). Randolph Hodgson, owner of Neal's Yard Dairy in London, advises grilling sliced bread spread with fruit chutney and Mrs. Kirkham's Farmhouse Lancashire. Don't forget the ale.