Victoria Osborne, Bath Spa University, School of Science, Society and Management, C/O Court Close House, North Wraxall, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 7AD

Vixosborne@hotmail.com

I am a PhD researcher at Bath Spa University investigating the Cheesemakers of the West Country.  My main areas of research concern cheesemakers and the choices they make; how these choices are affected by government policies; the networks between cheesemakers, suppliers and customers; the importance of regional identity and the issues surrounding the use of un-pasteurised milk.

You have been sent this survey because you have indicated that you are a cheesemaker and you are willing to help me in my PhD research.  Please could I ask you to spend a little time completing this survey as fully as possible before returning it to me.  Not all the questions will be relevant to you but please answer as many as you can.  It can be answered on your own behalf or on behalf of your company.   All responses will be anonymised with data kept in strict compliance with the Data Protection Act and the Bath Spa University code of ethics.    Thank you very much for giving up your time to help with this research.

Cheesemaker and Milk

	Are you or is your company a cheesemaker?
	Yes
	No

	Do you or does your company employ a cheesemaker?
	Yes
	No

	How many years have you or your company been making cheese?
	1-5 years
	6-10 years
	11-15 years
	16-20 years
	21-60 years
	61 years +

	How did you train as a cheesemaker?  (please mark all that apply)
	Formal training course in the UK
	Formal training course abroad
	Apprenticeship in the UK
	Apprenticeship abroad
	Self Taught

	Other

	Why did you or your company start to make cheese? (please mark all that apply)
	Farm Diversification
	Adding value to milk products
	Hobby that expanded
	Joined family business
	Positive career move

	Other

	Do you make cheese every day?
	Yes
	No

	How many days a week do you make cheese?
	1 or 2
	3 or 4
	5 or 6

	Do you make cheese for anyone else?
	Yes
	No

	Is cheesemaking your primary business?
	Yes
	No

	Are you also : (please mark all relevant boxes)
	A Farmer
	An Affineur
	A Retailer
	A Milk Producer

	Other

	Do you make cheese from your own milk?
	Yes
	No

	Do you buy in milk for cheesemaking?
	Yes
	No

	Do you use a combination of 'bought-in' and 'home produced' milk for cheesemaking?
	Yes
	No

	What type of milk do you produce or use for cheesemaking? (Please mark all that apply)
	Cow
	Sheep
	Goat
	Buffalo

	Other

	What breed of cow do you use?
	Holstein-Friesian
	Friesian
	Jersey
	Guernsey
	Ayrshire
	Gloucester

	Other

	How many lactations, on average, do your cows complete?

	What breed of sheep do you use?
	Lacaune
	Friesland
	British Milk Sheep
	Dorset Horn

	Other

	How many lactations, on average, do your ewes complete?

	What breed of goat do you use?
	Nubian
	Toggenburg
	Saanen
	Alpine
	Guernsey

	Other

	How many lactations, on average, do your goats complete?

	Are the milk producing animals: (Please tick all that apply)
	Outdoor reared and grass fed all year
	Outdoor reared in summer and housed in winter, fed hay
	Outdoor reared in summer and housed in winter, fed silage
	Outdoor reared in summer and housed in winter, fed hay or silage plus concentrates
	Housed  while lactating and hay fed
	Housed  while lactating and silage fed
	Housed while lactating and fed silage or hay plus concentrate.

	Other

	Do you consider the feed your milk producing animals eat affects the flavour of the finished cheese?
	Yes
	No

	Would you like to expand on your answer?

Your cheese

	What type of cheese do you make? (Please mark as many as apply)
	Hard Territorial (ie: Cheddar, Leicester, Gloucester)
	Traditional cheese (ie: Caerphilly, Wensleydale, Cheshire, Lancashire, Stilton)
	Blue Cheese
	Modern Fresh (ie: no rind, high moisture)
	Soft White Mould-Ripened
	Semi-soft: ie (lightly pressed, mould-ripened or washed rind)
	Hard - Flavour Added
	Fresh - Flavour Added
	Semi -soft - Flavour added
	Mozarella
	Smoked
	Reduced Fat
	Reduced Salt

	Other

	How many varieties of cheese do you make?
	1
	2
	3
	4-5
	6-10
	10 +

	Are any of your cheeses seasonally available?
	Yes, some are available for a limited period annually
	No, they are available all year round

	What proportion of your cheese output would you describe as seasonally available?

	Do you freeze milk or curd for subsequent cheesemaking use?
	Yes
	No

	What quantity of cheese do you make a month?
	100 - 249 kg
	250kg - 499 kg
	500 kg  - 999 kg
	1 Tonne - 1.9 Tonnes
	2 Tonnes - 9.9 Tonnes
	10 Tonnes +

	Would you describe your cheese as: (please mark all that you consider apply)
	A nutritious economy product
	A high quality, creamery made product
	A catering product
	An artisan product
	A mass produced product
	A luxury product
	An affordable product
	A exclusive product
	A limited edition product
	A seasonal product
	A traditional product
	An authentic product

	How would you describe your cheese?

	Are all parts of your cheesemaking process automated?
	Yes
	No

	Which parts of the cheesemaking processes are done by hand?  Please tick as many as apply.
	Stirring
	Culturing
	Renneting
	Cutting
	Salting/brining
	Ladling
	Moulding
	Turning
	Packing

	Other

	Do you make cheese from pasteurised milk?
	Pasteurised milk only
	Un-pasteurised milk only
	Both pasteurised and un-pasteurised milk

	Do you use bought in starter cultures?
	Yes
	No

	Do you use your own starter culture?
	Yes
	No

	Do you use vegetarian or traditional rennet?
	Vegetarian Rennet
	Traditional Rennet
	Both Vegetarian and Traditional

	Do you use a traditional cheese recipe? (a recipe that has been used for two or more generations)
	Yes
	No

	Do you use a modern recipe?
	Yes
	No

	Do you make a British version of a continental cheese? ie. Brie, Camembert, Edam, Feta etc
	Yes
	No

	Have you created a new cheese?
	Yes
	No

	Do you mature your own cheeses?
	Yes
	No

Selling and promoting your cheeses

	How do you sell your cheese? (Please mark all that apply?)
	Direct to the public from your own premises
	Farmer's Markets
	Country Fairs / Agricultural shows
	Food festivals
	To wholesalers
	To local retailers
	To specialist cheese retailers
	By mail order via the telephone
	By mail order via the internet
	To supermarkets

	Other

	Have you ever entered your cheese for any awards? ie: Cheese shows, British Cheese Awards, World Cheese Awards etc.
	Yes
	No

	Which awards/shows have you entered in the past?

	Have you ever won an award for your cheese?
	Yes
	No

	What awards have you won?

	Do you think cheese awards serve a useful purpose?
	Yes
	No

	Does your cheese have PDO status?
	Yes
	No
	Don't know what it is

	Does your cheese have PGI status?
	Yes
	No
	Don't know what it is

	Are you a member of the Specialist Cheesemakers Association?
	Yes
	No

Health and Safety

	Do you follow the principles of HACCP (Hazard analysis and critical control point) at your cheesemaking premises?
	Yes
	No
	Don't know what it is

	Do you know of the SALSA audit scheme (Safe and Local Suppliers Audit)?
	Yes
	No
	Don't know what it is

	Have you ever had a problem with your local environmental health or trading standards office:
	Yes
	No

	Are your local environmental health officers and trading standards officers supportive of your goals as a cheesemaker?
	Yes
	No

	Other

	Has bovine tuberculosis had an impact on your cheesemaking practices?
	Yes
	No

	Would you like to explain briefly what impact Bovine tuberculosis has had on your cheesemaking practices?

	Has your cheesemaking business suffered or benefited from the effects of food hygiene legislation?  (Please tick the answers that most closely apply or provide your own answer)
	Benefited by making us raise our standards
	Benefited by providing clear guidelines to work within
	Benefited by increasing public confidence
	Suffered because legislation is designed for 'big business'
	Suffered because legislation is too restrictive
	Suffered because legislation has expensive requirements innapropriate to a small business
	Suffered because we have had to change our manufacturing practices to comply with legislation

	Other

Regionality

	The Government has designated Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall to be 'The West Country.  Do you agree with this classification?
	Yes
	No

	Would you consider yourself a 'West Country Cheesemaker
	Yes
	No

	Are you part of a Regional Marketing Group?  ie Taste of the West.
	Yes
	No

	Could you make cheese anywhere or is regional identity important to you? (mark all that apply)
	I could make cheese anywhere
	It is important to me to be in the West Country
	It is important for my cheese to be made in the West Country
	It is essential for my cheese to be made in the West Country

	Other

	Would you like to briefly comment on the reasons for the importance of making your cheese in the West Country?

	Do you think your cheese has a specific taste because of the region the milk is produced in - the equivalent of the French 'Terroir'
	Yes
	No

	Do you have a relationship with other cheesemakers local to you
	Yes, we exchange ideas and discuss problems
	Yes, but we don't exchange ideas
	Yes, we have a combined marketing strategy
	No, we avoid discussion of our products
	No, we are in direct competition with each other

	Other

	Are you part of a network of Regional Cheese Producers?
	Yes
	No

	Do you consider it important to be part of a network of Regional Cheese Producers
	Yes
	No

	Do you make use of a West Country identity as part of your marketing strategy?
	Yes
	No

	Do you use an identifiable West Country name for any of your cheeses?
	Yes
	No

	Is there further research that you think needs to be conducted into cheesemaking and cheesemakers?

	Would you be prepared to provide further help with this research? (Please mark as many as apply)
	Yes, I will complete a further questionnaire
	Yes, I am happy to be interviewed informally
	Yes, I would be happy to be helped in my dairy
	Yes, I can help in some other way

	Further information:

	Your Name and position.

	Please contact me by E mail in the future.  My E mail address is:-

	Please contact me by post in the future.  My postal address is:-

	Please contact me by telephone in the future.  Please provide details of the best time to telephone and your telephone number.

Thank you very much for your cooperation in completing this questionnaire.  Please will you now return it to me electronically or by post in the provided SAE if you are completing a paper version.   Thanks too are due if you have indicated your willingness to help further in my research.  I will be in touch in due course.  If you would like to be kept informed of the progress of the research please let me know.

All responses will be anonymised and data will kept in strict compliance with the data protection act and the Bath Spa University code of ethics.