How it started
The Borough Cheese Company was set up in the spring of 2003. It was the brainchild of Jason Hinds of Neal’s Yard Dairy. In the previous summer Jason accepted an invitation from friend and fellow cheesemonger Pascal Trotte to go to the Franche-Comte where Pascal bought his Comte. They visited Fort St.Antoine home to 65,000 wheels of Comte matured by affineurs Marcel Petite. Jason had his cheese credentials tested by Claude Querry and Philippe Goux. He passed with flying colours and helped by his impeccable French came away having bought 50 wheels of his own. Buying was one thing, selling another. For this Jason needed help. He called upon friend and former colleague at Neal’s Yard Dairy, Dominic Coyte. That winter Jason and Dominic – with help from friends - sold their first cheese at the Borough Market, near London Bridge
What we do
The Borough Cheese Company sells only one cheese: the French mountain cheese, Comte. In order to get the best Comte we travel to the Franche-Comte in Eastern France every five to six weeks, where we visit Fort St. Antoine home of Marcel Petite, affineurs of Comte cheese. There we select our cheese for sale back in the UK.
Comte Cheese
Comte is a hard cows’ milk cheese made in the Franche-Comte region of Eastern France. The breed of cow is mainly Montbeliard (around 5% comes from French Simmmental). Comte is made with unpasteurised milk and animal rennet. .
The Make
Comte is made in small dairies called ‘fruitieres’. Each morning the milk arrives and is pumped into large copper-lined vats. While this is happening a whey starter is added (the whey is from the previous day’s make incubated overnight). When full, the vat is stirred and the temperature increased to between 31° and 33°C. The milk is held at this temperature for a period of ‘ripening’ lasting 30-45 minutes. After this a second whey starter is added along with the rennet. This is then stirred for a few minutes and then left to set. The curd is cut about 30 minutes after the addition of the rennet. Cutting is done mechanically by bladed paddles attached to a rotary motor running over the vat. Initially the cutting is slow and gentle. After a few minutes the speed is increased along with the temperature. The curd is ‘cooked’ to 55°C. After the cooking temperature is reached the curds are stirred for approximately 15 minutes before being transferred to moulds where the curds are pressed for around 20 hours. From the press the wheels of Comte are taken to the fruitiere’s own cellars where they are salted and turned for 2-4 weeks before being picked up by Marcel Petite for maturing.
The Comte industry and the role of Marcel Petite.
The heart of the Comte industry is the relationship between the fruitiere and the affineur (maturer). Each fruitiere is a cooperative of local farmers. They finance the establishment of the fruitiere and employ the cheesemaker. Naturally, they supply the milk as well. But given the length of maturation (Comte cannot be sold younger than 4 months and the best is over 12) and the size of the cheeses the average fruitiere doesn’t have room for more than a few weeks production. Affineurs, like Marcel Petite, supply the space and conditions necessary to carry on the process of ripening.
Crucially a meeting is held once a month at each fruitiere between the president of that fruitiere, the farmers, the cheesemaker and a representative from Marcel Petite to discuss the quality of the cheese and the price. This regular contact allows the affineur to report back to the milk producers and cheesemakers on how their cheeses are maturing and the likely price they will achieve. Equally, the affineur is informed of any factors that might have had an influence on the production of milk or the making of cheese. Ultimately, it’s a simple forum for communication, allowing both parties the information they need to safeguard the quality of the Comte produced.
