Author Topic: Selling home made cheese  (Read 3260 times)

Offline Lloyd

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Selling home made cheese
« on: November 06, 2016, 11:29:19 AM »
Has anyone any experience with the requirements from Environmental Health in England for cheese made in domestic premises?

Our kitchen has been inspected and passed by EH for my wife's small scale cake business.  I have the advantage of a brother in law who owns a small farm shop, and he has already said he would buy Cams from me, even though he tasted only my 2nd attempt.  I've no plans to go big scale, but thought I could produce a small batch say once a fortnight or so. 

However, my wife, quite correctly (she doesn't want her cake business jeopardised), says we need to contact EH - just wanted to preempt any potential issues?  I'll only be using pasteurised milk.

Offline Al Lewis

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Re: Selling home made cheese
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2016, 03:03:47 PM »
I would think she is right.  The cleanliness requirements may differ due to the introduction of molds and bacteria in cheeses not present in other food stuff.  Is there anyway you could isolate your end of the business from hers?  I know when I lived in the UK farmers sold cheeses made on the farms but that was years ago before the common market and EU.  I'm afraid a lot of restrictions came in with those two entities and one may be a total restriction on anyone in the UK making French cheeses.  They, the French, did write the common market rules to benefit themselves and I can't help but think they wouldn't have missed this one.  I would contact EH and maybe think about making a local blue based on a Stilton recipe.
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Offline Lloyd

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Re: Selling home made cheese
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2016, 06:43:00 PM »
I don't think the EU thing is a problem. You can buy Cornish camembert. I think the thing that is controlled is the AOC marking, but I've no plans to go anywhere near that.

The paranoia around the potential for cross contamination could be where I run into difficulties. We would have to share the same kitchen, but of course her cakes would not go in my cave.

Offline Lloyd

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Re: Selling home made cheese
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2016, 06:49:10 PM »
And of course, there is nothing to stop me making cheese for personal consumption in the same kitchen as the cakes.  ;D

Offline Gregore

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Re: Selling home made cheese
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2016, 03:19:13 AM »
I see know reason why you would have to use the kitchen , assumming you have another room in the house ,

I never make my cheese in the kitchen too many yeasty type things going on in there by my wife , from kombucha to bread making .

An induction plate makes easy work of moving anywhere in the house you want .  The biggest issue would be getting the whey out of that room if it has no sink. Easy enough for small batches much more thought needs to go into it if there is a lot of whey

Offline Lloyd

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Re: Selling home made cheese
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2016, 09:33:42 PM »
I don't think another room is really an option. I'm sure EH would find using a room without running water even worse than the shared kitchen.