Cheese lovers urged to head online to save our Parmesan
The recent Italian earthquakes have had a devastating effect on Parmesan, one of the world’s most famous cheeses.
Now cheese lovers from around the world are being urged to join a new online campaign that aims to help save the production of Parmesan.
The two earthquakes that hit the Emilia-Romagna region in May 2012 struck right at the heart of Parmigiano-Reggiano area where Parmesan is produced.
Many producers of Parmesan are now facing ruin as the warehouses that stored the highly prized cheese simply crumbled due to the impact of the tremors on May the 20th and 29th. 10% of the annual production was lost, equating to 608,000 cheeses in total. The cheeses are now destined for the waste as they were unable to complete the vital maturing process and buyers are turning their backs on the stricken Parmesan.
The Save a Cheese Campaign was set up in the hope that it could relieve the producers plight, as well as their cheese, by taking a step into the world of technology and offering them at www.saveacheese.com. This will also give people online an opportunity to buy into the artisan history of this fine product.
The Save A Cheese campaign is being headed up by award-winning artisan Welsh cheese maker John Savage-Onstwedder of Teifi Farmhouse Cheese.
John, whose raw milk cheeses have won countless awards – including The James Aldridge Memorial Trophy for Best British Raw Milk Cheese – says he could not stand by when he heard of the plight of his fellow producers in Italy, and is travelling to the region to meet with producers. As an organic farmer John will try to source certified organic Parmesan.
Says John, “As an artisan, raw milk cheesemaker I understand how important it is to support raw milk cheesemakers wherever they me be, because they are an endangered species not just in the UK, but all over Europe.”
Retailing at £22 per 1kg wedge the Parmesan bought through the website will be ready for distribution next month; with the price including postage and packaging, and the cheese will be stamped with the ‘Save A Cheese’ logo.
The bulk of the money will be paid to the individual cheesemaker with one further Euro per kg going to the Parmigiano-Reggiano Consortium for distribution to other cheese producers affected by the earthquakes.
Adds John, “The Campaign’s aim is to offer you the chance to help the struggling Parmesan producers by purchasing your own wedge of ‘Quake Cheese’, to be delivered direct to your door with a healthy slice of karma.”
