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Denhay has 1000 Friesian Holstein cows in five herds, selected for the high protein quality of their milk. Their welfare is independently audited by the RSPCA's Freedom Foods scheme. In summer they go out to graze the grass in the fields. In winter when the ground is too wet and cold, they are kept indoors and fed on a diet of grass and maize silage, supplemented with cereals - mainly wheat and soya. While inside, every cow has a mattress on which to lie.<p></p> All the milk produced by the Denhay herds is used to make West Country Farmhouse Cheddar, and the cream, from the by-product whey, is used to make whey butter. Denhay is unique as a Cheesemaker in that we have one person responsible for everything from the breeding, feeding and welfare of the cows to the making, maturing and grading of the cheese: Simon Hill, the Denhay Farms Director has that role.<p></p>A first independent grading will take place at three months to ascertain the quality of the cheese in terms of colour, texture, smell and taste. Denhay Cheddar is carefully matured and monitored until it is 11 months old when it is sold as premium West Country Farmhouse Cheddar.
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