'Maestro' Alex James in Cardiff for Great British Cheese Festival » Communities » 24dash.com

Former Blur bassist Alex James, one of the contestants in the BBC celebrity conducting competition Maestro which starts next week, will be conducting one of his other passions in Cardiff Castle in September, when he brings his range of cheeses to the Great British Cheese Festival.

Maestro starts on BBC2 on Tuesday August 12 with the conductors, including actor David Soul and Coronation St star Bradley Walsh in Baton Camp, and runs over the rest of the summer, building to a finale when the winner chosen by a public vote takes to the podium to conduct the BBC Concert Orchestra in front of 30,000 people at the final Proms event, Proms in the Park on September 13.

Later in September on the 27th and 28th, Alex, also a newspaper columnist and Classic FM presenter, will be instrumental in the Great British Cheese Festival, taking place in Cardiff Castle for the first time, when his Wallop cheeses will be amongst the UK’s finest cheeses on show.

Alex produces the Wallops as one half of the Evenlode Partnership with festival advisor Juliet Harbutt.

They launched Little Wallop at the end of 2007, a cheese wrapped in vine leaves and washed with Somerset cider brandy, and followed up this Easter with the exclusive farm shop, Daylesford’s launch of Farleigh Wallop, imbued with a delicate hint of thyme.

Juliet said: “Since 1984, when my obsession with cheese began, I’ve had recipes in my head but never found the right time or person to make the cheese – until last year, when I met my neighbour, Alex James.

"His boundless curiosity, excellent palate and fascination for cheese blew me away and in his column in the Observer the following week he dubbed cheese “sexy” and “the new rock and roll.”               
                                   
Alex came to Juliet for help in April this year, saying: “Everyone is talking about my cheese and I don’t have one. What can I do?” The Evenlode Partnership was born. The aim was to develop a range of cheeses and other products, including some produced on Alex’s farm, of exceptional quality, made by artisan producers, using local ingredients and traditional methods.

Juliet says: “This year’s Great British Cheese Festival will be a great opportunity to showcase the Wallops, and I can’t wait.”               

The Great British Cheese Festival takes place in Cardiff Castle September 27-28 (tickets 029 2087 8438 and www.thecheeseweb.com).

It is one of the most prestigious events in the foodie calendar, attracted by the opportunity to indulge in the very best of British food & drink - from the ripest Stilton to the maturest Cheddar, the finest chutneys to the sauciest pies, plus an impressive array of beers, ciders, Perry and wines.

Festival attractions include:

• Britain’s Biggest Cheese Market - over 450 cheeses to try and buy
• True Taste of Wales – a selection of award winning produce from the host country
• Best of British Market – a diverse range of artisan and unusual fine food & drinks
• Rare Essentials – specialist ingredients that can not be produced in the UK
• The Cardiff Arms – offering over 35 British beers, wine, cider and Perry   
• Masterclasses and Demonstrations – throughout the weekend there will be a lively programme catering for everyone from novices to  experts – see www.thecheeseweb.com for details and booking (from the end of July)
• Cheese Tossing, Cheese Skittles and Live Music