Info & Support - Cartmel cheese

Our Philosophy
The way we run our business is probably a little unconventional.

Simplicity is the name of the game and hopefully our web site will showcase that.

The main aim is to offer you the customer the best Artisan cheese around whether browsing our website or visiting our shop.

About Us
We are an artisan cheese shop based in the small village of Cartmel, just outside of the Lake District national park. We supply the top restaurants in the north-west, including Michelin 2 star L’Enclume which is right on our doorstep.

All our cheeses are sourced carefully, we mature all of our cheeses on site using a temperature controlled environment within our shop, taking into account the age and flavour profile of each cheese individually.

We stock award winning seasonal cheeses, sourced directly from the maker by our in-house cheese experts. We seek out the very best small-scale artisan cheese producers, tasting every single product we sell in our shop and website. All orders placed via our website are posted in a fully protected, climate controlled box, ensuring that your cheese reaches you in pristine condition.

In short, we’re here to help you take your cheese experience to the next level ! Feel free to pop in and see us at our shop if you’re in the area.

All our parcels are dispatched Monday to Thursday with APC overnight Express 24. This means you can receive parcels Tuesday to Friday. All parcels at £55.00 and over delivered between those days will be eligible for free delivery. Anything under £55.00 will be charged at £5.95. We also offer a Saturday delivery, but this does incur an extra charge and no free delivery.

Any orders to the Scottish Highlands (2 days)/Northern Ireland will also incur extra charges and no free delivery, we also cannot guarantee next day delivery. If you are unsure if we can deliver to your address, please give us a call on: 015395 34307.

Please see below our delivery charges:

UK Standard Delivery – £5.95.

UK Saturday Delivery – £17.95.

Scottish Highlands – £20.95.

Northern Ireland – £24.95.

If for any reason you will not be in on you designated delivery date, please leave a note in the comments section at the checkout stating your “safe place”. This means we can make a note on the delivery details for the driver. Please note if we do not receive any notes on your “Safe Place” the delivery driver will not be able to leave your parcel, and we can not be held responsible for the condition of your order on final delivery.

Please note that APC overnight terms state that Express 24 delivery can take up to 48 hours during busy periods. Please wait at least 48 hours before contacting us about your delivery. We do package all parcels to with stand this length of time.

Order Dates
We accept delivery for the next working day on all orders placed before 12.00am.

If you would like to pre order you can do so by selecting the designated date on the calendar. Please be aware if you do not select a delivery date, we will automatically send out the next available day. Any orders received over the weekend without a designated date will automatically be posted out on the Monday.

Tracking your order
Once we have dispatched your order, you will automatically receive an email including your consignment number. You can then personally track your order through the APC overnight website: https://apc-overnight.com/receiving-a-parcel/tracking.

Packaging
All our parcels are sent out in food grade packaging, in the warmer months we will also include ice packs, to ensure your cheese reaches you in a perfect condition. Once you receive your parcel please check and refrigerate. Should any problems occur they can be then dealt with straight away. If for any reason you do have a problem either contact us on: 015395 34307 or info@cartmelcheeses.co.uk. Please have your order reference to hand.

Returns & Refunds
We generally do not accept returns on our cheeses as they are perishable goods. That is why we ask on receiving your order; you check all goods straight away. We will not accept responsibility for any damaged goods after 48 hours. We may ask you to send us some photos so we can assess the damage. If we agree that the goods are damaged or not in perfect condition when you received them, we will offer you a part or full refund depending on the damage. Any returns will then be taken care of by us.

If you are ordering from the Highlands or Northern Ireland we do consider it can take up to 2 days for you to receive your goods, therefore we allow an extra 48 hours for you to check your delivery.

Cancellation If you wish to cancel your order, please let us know as soon as possible by phone or by email. Unfortunately, if your order has already been dispatched, we cannot cancel it. If we receive your cancellation in good time, we will issue you a full refund to the card we debited.

Substitution

Sometimes it may not be possible to send you the exact cheese ordered. Where this occurs, we will replace with an alternative of the same style and quantity. If possible, we will inform you about the replacement before your order is dispatched.

Cutting and Weights

All cheeses are cut on the day of dispatch, the cheeses are cut by hand so slight variations in weight may occur. If any of your cut cheese is slightly less than the weight ordered, we will make sure that one of the other cheeses is heavier to compensate.

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy sets out how we use and protect any information that you give Cartmel Cheeses when you use this website.

Cartmel Cheeses is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

Cartmel Cheeses may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 25th May 2018.

What we collect
We may collect the following information:

name and job title
contact information including email address
demographic information such as postcode, preferences and interests
other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

What we do with the information we gather
We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, in particular for the following reasons:

Internal record keeping.
We may use the information to improve our products and services.
We may periodically send promotional emails about new products, special offers or other information which we think you may find interesting using the email address you have provided.
From time to time, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes. We may contact you by email, phone, fax or mail. We may use the information to customise the website according to your interests.

Security
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use cookies
A cookie is a small file that asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information that you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your personal information
You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

Whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes
If you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us at info@cartmelcheeses.co.uk

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so. We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if you tell us that you wish for this to happen.

You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 1998. A small fee will be payable. If you would like a copy of the information held on you please write to Cartmel Cheeses, 1 & 2 Unsworths Yard Cartmel Cumbria LA11 6PG

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible at the above address. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

What is the difference between Raw and Pasteurised?

Raw describes milk that has not been heat treated in any way, retaining all its natural bacteriological and enzymatic characteristics.

Pasteurised a term for milk that has been heat treated usually by heating it to 71.7C (161F) for 15 seconds, to kill natural occurring micro-organisms that may cause disease.
What is thermised?

Thermised a method of heat treating milk to kill any pathogens in it using temperatures lower than pasteurisation. The term applies to Raw milk which has been heated for at least 15 seconds at a temperature between 57C (135F) and 68C (154F).
What is rennet?

Rennet is a substance used to curdle milk, made from animal, vegetarian, or genetically modified sources.

Animal rennet was traditionally the lining of the fourth stomach of a calf or other young dairy animal. The lining was salted and dried to preserve its properties, and cut into strips. Today it is available in liquid or powder form.

Vegetarian rennet traditionally used plants such as Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum) or the wild cardoon (Cynara cardunculus). Today rennet produced from the fungus mucor miehei or the bactrium bacillus subtilis is generally used.

Genetically modified rennet can be used. This is produced in the laboratory by creating the enzyme rennin (also know has chymosin) Genetic engineering techniques create a substance identical to animal rennet without using calf cells.
What makes cheese go blue?

Air can penetrate cheese through the rind, allowing naturally occurring mould spores to form.

Penicillium roqueforti is added to the milk and encouraged to grow to intentionally develop the blue-green veins in cheese.
What cheese can I eat if pregnant?
We can only advise what cheeses to eat during pregnancy; it is the responsibility of the individual whether they chose to take our advice.

Hard cheese are safe to eat during pregnancy, they do not contain as much water as soft cheese, so bacteria are less likely to grow in them. Although it is possible for hard cheese to contain Listeria bacteria, they are in such low numbers that they are not to be considered to be a health risk to you or your unborn baby. (Listeria bacteria can cause an infection called Listeriosis).

Cheeses that are safe to eat during pregnancy.

Hard cheeses are safe to eat during pregnancy, even if they are made with unpasteurised milk.

These include:
- cheddar
- edam
- emmental
- gouda
- gruyère
- jarlsberg
- parmesan
- stilton
Other types of cheese are also safe to eat during pregnancy, but make sure they are made from pasteurised milk.

These include:
- cottage cheese
- mozzarella
- feta
- cream cheese, including mascarpone
- quark
- paneer
- ricotta
- halloumi
- some types of goats’ cheese
- processed cheese, such as cheese spreads
Cheeses to avoid during pregnancy

Pregnant women should avoid eating uncooked mould-ripened soft cheeses and soft blue-veined cheeses, as they can contain higher levels of listeria.

Examples of these cheeses include:
- brie and blue brie
- camembert
- chèvre (a type of goats’ cheese)
- Danish blue
- gorgonzola
- roquefort
Can I eat the rind?

As long as the cheese coating in question was not made by man alone (like a wax coating) the rind is safe to eat. Depending on your palate, you may find that a little rind complements the cheese and enhances its flavour. You may also find it too strong, bitter, mouldy or textually unpleasant.
What is the best way to store cheese?

Whole cheeses are generally happiest in a cool, damp cellar or larder. You may be able to improvise by keeping your cheese in an unheated garage or shed. When stored out of the refrigerator, your cheese will develop more quickly. This can make for more rounded flavours; however, you will need to check it regularly to see how it is behaving. If you are keeping it too warm the cheese will sweat, feel damp, and have a considerably stronger smell. Mould also develops much more quickly on the cut surfaces of cheese that is kept warm. Any unwanted surface mould can easily be cut away with a knife. Small cut pieces of cheese should be kept in the refrigerator to slow the growth of mould on its cut surfaces. However, it is important to be aware that refrigerated cheese is more likely to dry out, particularly if it is not wrapped. The best option is to keep the cheese in a waxed paper within a cardboard box or in the salad drawer (as vegetables create atmospheric humidity). If storing your cheese in the fridge, bring it out a couple of hours before serving, this can vary depending on conditions, so that it can warm through to room temperature. This is very important for the flavour as cold cheese can taste bland and inert.
How long will my cheese last?

We would recommend eating all cut cheese purchased from us within 14 days, Whole cheeses covered in cloth, follow the instruction leaflet, Wax coated cheeses follow best before date.
How much cheese should I buy?

We would recommend 100g-150g per person.
Can I freeze my cheese?

It is possible to freeze cheese. Some hard, or semi – hard cheeses can be frozen without greatly affecting the flavour. Not all cheeses will freeze well. Soft cheeses especially can become watery and grainy in texture. Freezing can also affect the texture of some hard cheeses, making it crumbly and harder to use.
What are the crystals in cheese?

White Cheese Crystals: Lactic acid and calcium combine to create calcium lactate, which can form in to calcium lactate crystals. Tyrosine crystals form when proteins in the cheese are broken down during the aging process.
What is a washed curd cheese?

The curd is washed by removing some of the whey and replacing it with hot water, this helps to retain moisture and gives the cheese a delicate sweet flavour and brie-like texture.
What is washed rind cheese?

A type of cheese made by washing the rind during maturing.
What is "Maturation"?

This is the final stage in cheese production. The young cheese is aged in an environment that best suits its development. Cheeses that retain a lot of moisture in the curd are matured for less time than those with a dry curd. Soft cheeses require only a short ripening time of a few days before they are ready to eat. Mould ripened cheeses are placed in a warm humid atmosphere to encourage the development of mould on the surface and inside. Once the initial shape has been achieved through moulding some cheeses are wrapped in cloth and sealed with butter or lard and matured, this is especially true of large hard cheeses such as Traditional Lancashire’s and Classic Cheddars. This process allows the cheese to develop in flavour and texture and form a rind that will protect the paste. Our job involves working with each cheese, giving it the attention and requirements it needs, so we can offer it for sale to the customer at its best.
Cheese Care Guide

Cheese will change as it matures. Below are some pointers which will help you to ensure you eat your cheese at its best.

Keep it wrapped in waxed paper (maintains humidity/allows it to breathe). Store in a refrigerator, preferably in a cardboard box (prevents it absorbing flavours from other foods), or in your salad compartment (constant humidity).

Remove your cheese from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up to room temperature (a couple of hours depending on conditions), before consuming (cold cheese tastes bland and inert). The refrigerator creates a drying atmosphere; we advise you consume any cheese purchased from us within 14 days.

View our Baby Lancashire Cheese Care leaflet here.