Cheese enthusiasts, it does not matter how long will be stay in Yorkshire, it will be needed to fit a visit to Wensleydale Creamery, in Hawes.
I am not a big fan of dairy products anymore, but I confess that checking out this place last October was one of the highlights of my trip to the Dales.
The popular visitor centre of Wensleydale Creamery is located in the market village of Hawes, a picturesque spot in the heart of Wensleydale in North Yorkshire that has been home to this award-winning cheesemaker since 1837.
What is pretty curious about Hawes itself is the fact it is considered the most self-sufficient village in Britain. Yes, it is exactly what you are thinking about. The members of this community go from the post office to the police station there.
A community business
Producing approximately 4000 tonnes of cheese, and operating one of the top tourist destinations in the Yorkshire Dales, we are truly a community-based business, being a major provider of rural jobs, contributing £12m to the local economy annually.
Wensleydale is a popular brand in Britain and it is certainly due to the quality of their cheese, butter and yoghurts. Our visit was no plan, so I didn`t have enough time to join the whole Yorkshire Wensleydale Cheese Experience, that had to be booked. But we had the opportunity to check the cheese and gift shop, which was a mouth-watering experience, anyway.
I was quite impressed with the variety of types of cheese at Wensleydale Creamery. And it is easy to understand why the business is harvesting some profits after its investments of £5m last year. Also according to a recent article published in the Yorkshire Post, the visitor numbers increased 20 percent to 300,000 during the year and spending per head also rose.
I was able to see the place was indeed busy. You get in a queue as soon as you enter the magic cheese room at the gift shop. There are tons of samples of creamy, flavoured handcrafted cheese to be tried and space is always packed. Nobody wants to miss the opportunity of finding out why Wensleydale cheese is so popular!
I can tell you, it’s an amazing experience. Some of their blended cheeses are very quirky. I have tried cheddar with caramelised onions, smoked cheese with ginger and even the one with apricots. There is no limit to creativity on Wensleydale.
My favourite was the blended with fruits. But the traditional English ones were also very tempting. Summarising, expect ending up bringing lots of cheese back home in one single visit to this place. This is the house of Yorkshire Wensleydale fine cheese!
But Wensleydale is not just about cheese!
There is a range of other dairy products such as yoghurt, chocolate. Besides, jams, butter, crackers that you can find at the place. It is also recommended to visit their restaurant, that is a very popular attraction at this creamery.
Named after the legendary Kit Calvert, who rescued the Wensleydale Creamery from closure in the 1930’s, Calvert’s Restaurant boasts stunning views of the dales.
Visit Wensleydale is an incredible experience indeed. There are heritage, cheesy tasting and stunning views from the Dales to bring back as nice memories from the trip. But if you can`t go to Hawes, remember they sell their products around the world. So, you still can find it everywhere!
