Standfirst: Scots dairies are beating the French – and others - at their own game to become big cheeses on the international stage.

Lined up in a dairy storeroom near Anstruther in the East Neuk of Fife is row upon row of what Jane Stewart affectionately refers to as the ‘babies’.

“It’s a slow process – nine months. It is a bit like having a baby; it’s a long labour but it’s worth the wait,” she says. “Because at the end of the nine months we have these babies in the cheese store looking for a new home.”

Slowly maturing inside the dairy’s storeroom, overlooking the Firth of Forth and encircled by lush meadows where the farm’s dairy herd graze, is the next generation of the farm’s award-winning cheeses.

The only cheesemaker in the Kingdom of Fife, the Stewart family’s St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company is among a growing tartan army of Scottish dairy producers to have conquered international cheeseboards around the world - from the traditional home of fine cheeses, France, to Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and the United States of America.

Eventually, according to a new 2030 strategy just launched by the Scottish Dairy sector, Scottish-produced cheese will be firmly on the global stage, admired by connoisseurs and talked about in the same admiring tones as fine smoked salmon, whisky and shortbread.

As well as a leap in Scottish cheese exports over the next decade, the report also suggests rising international demand for Scottish liquid milk and powdered milk products, particularly from South East Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Southern Europe.

It’s a remarkable shift into the world of international trade for hardworking dairy farmers who not long ago were in financial crisis as milk prices plummeted.

Back then, the future of family dairy operations like the Stewarts’ farm at Falside, near Anstruther – in the family since the 1930s - hung in the balance.

“We have been dairy and arable farmers for generations,” says Jane, who runs the farm with husband, Robert, and sons, Ben and Adam. “Fifteen years ago, we had a decision to make.”

With milk prices at the time unsustainable, the family looked at making ice cream – too seasonal - or diversifying into producing yoghurt, which Jane admits she doesn’t particularly like.

“You have to like what you make, and we like cheese,” she adds. “Cheese uses a realistic volume of milk, and there was a gap in the market – no-one else in Fife makes cheese.”

After a crash course in cheesemaking in Wales, and a steep learning curve that included strict health and hygiene requirements, the farm’s first cheese, Anster - an unpasteurised creamy, crumbly pale cheese reminiscent of Caerphilly – arrived at local farmers’ markets.

From early days of experimenting in 2008, there are now around 25 tons of Anster - the original variety along with a red version, smoked and mature versions - and their acclaimed St Andrews Farmhouse Cheddar produced at the dairy every year.

With a clutch of awards and supported by the Scottish Dairy Growth Board, the dairy has now widened its horizons, and sells their cheddar to stockists in Canada and America.

Scottish dairy products are particularly attractive to international consumers, she says. “We’re not intensive in the way we breed our animals, our cows are grass fed.

“That is looked for in other parts of the world where they haven’t got that way of working - especially in America where grass-fed cows are considered to be the best.

“The diet we feed our animals comes through in the terroir and aromas of the final cheese, it gives them that point of difference.

“It’s important that the world realises the quality of Scottish cheese,” she adds. “We’re known for whisky, smoked salmon but the quality of our dairy products is superb, it will rival anything in the world, but we don’t shout loudly enough about it.”

According to Paul Grant Chairman of the Scottish Dairy Growth Board, the Scottish dairy sector could be worth £1.4billion to the Scottish food and drink industry by 2030 – a leap from £800 million in 2018.

“Most of this growth will be achieved through export activities and developing new product streams not currently offered by Scotland for growing global markets,” he adds.

The Board’s 2030 report says new sales of Scottish cheeses could hit £200 million, with 15 new international markets tapped already tapped and sales of £30 million.

The coming decade could see £150 million sales from Scottish produced milk powder or UHT products, a further £150 million from dried milk and £100 million from other milk-derived products.

A huge selling factor, it adds, is Scotland itself: its location, climate, geography and farming practices along with the transparent and “honest” supply chain are highly regarded among international consumers.

“Dairy products have the opportunity to join the likes of whisky, salmon, shortbread and beer as being popular choices for consumers who identify with the strong product credentials we can deliver,” it adds.

Some cheesemakers have already crossed into new territories. Supported by the Scottish Dairy Growth Board, producer Isle of Kintyre, known for its flavoured cheddars, has seen 50% growth in sales with exports on track to rise by 300%.

Having broken into the French, Swedish and Japanese markets, it is now investing in new facilities to help accommodate the export growth.

While large scale producer Lactalis, which is behind one of the UK’s biggest cheddar brands, Seriously Strong, has evolved its Stranraer creamery to produce Scottish-themed Old Edinburgh cheddar for America’s Costco supermarket chain.

At Connage Highland Dairy at Ardersier near Inverness, cheese has been sent as far afield as Australia – on a six week journey by boat – and to Hong Kong, Germany, America and France.

“It does seem funny to be sending cheese to France,” admits Jill Clark, who runs the cheese business with husband, Callum, while his brother, Callum and wife Eileen manage the organic dairy farm.

“Things have stopped just now because of the pandemic, but our Hong Kong customer has continued. Scottish cheese to Hong Kong does sound bizarre,” she concedes. “They are buying our Clava Brie, Connage Dunlop, Smoked Dunlop and Highland Heart brie.

“It is a thrill, we are a very small company our turnover is quite low compared to big companies. So, when we export, it’s exciting.”

Pallets of Smoked Dunlop regularly head to Germany in time for Christmas markets. The cheese is smoked over whisky barrel shavings, bringing an additional Scottish flavour to the final product which international markets seem to crave.

Like many other dairy farms, the switch to cheese came about as times became hard and new income streams became crucial.

“We started to make cheese about 16 years ago when milk prices had dropped,” she adds. “Callum and his brother had to make a decision whether to continue farming or to diversify.

“They didn’t want to sit on a tractor all day or to work for someone else, so they decided to diversify. We came up with cheese because unlike ice cream where you have to add powders, it’s all milk.”

Having started making around ten tons a year, the dairy now churns out around 70 tons, including Gouda, cheddar, and Connage Highland Crowdie.

“I do think there’s potential for Scottish cheese to be spoken of in same way as salmon, whisky and shortbread,” she adds. “There are some issues – for example, to get cheese to Australia we have to organise it to go by ship, so we need to ensure the cheese can sustain a six-week journey.

“We have something unique here,” she adds. “Our dairy farms are small, and we have history that America and Australia - young countries - are looking for.”