Dairy Free Cheese Making
Overview
Join us for a day of dairy-free cheesemaking with Ellie Brown, founder of Kinda Co., an award-winning vegan cheese company based in Somerset. After eliminating dairy from her diet, Ellie missed cheese and began making her own when supermarket options didn’t satisfy her. Now, she’s coming to River Cottage to share her techniques and tips for making tasty dairy-free cheese at home.
This introductory course will equip you with the skills and knowledge to make delicious vegan cheese using entirely natural ingredients like sunflower seeds. Ellie will guide you through the entire process, from selecting ingredients to shaping and setting your cheeses.
Over the day, you’ll learn how to make four different dairy-free cheeses: Ricotta, Mozzarella Balls, Smoked Cheddar, and Herb-Shaped Cheese. You’ll master new techniques like making curds, flavouring, and forming your cheeses.
No course at River Cottage would be complete without a delicious seasonal lunch, featuring a variety of dairy-free cheeses. By the end of the day, you’ll take home four cheeses to share with friends and family, showcasing your new skills!
- Learn techniques for making curds, flavouring, and shaping cheeses.
- Discover how to make four cheeses: Ricotta, mozzarella balls, smoked cheddar and herb-shaped cheese.
Your day
10:00 - 17:00
Arrive at River Cottage
You’ll begin your River Cottage experience with a 10-15 minute walk through the wonderful pathways down to the farm, enabling you to really soak up the views of the valley.
Make yourself at home
Meet your tutor and settle in with tea, coffee and a cheesy treat fresh from the kitchen.
SESSION ONE
After a discussion of the different techniques and ingredients used to make vegan cheese, you’ll dive right in with making your first cheese of the day, a Ricotta.
SESSION TWO
While your Ricotta sets you’ll get started with your second cheese, Smoked Cheddar, which results in a pleasingly firm cheese that can be grated.
SESSION THREE
Ellie will talk you through how to assemble a delicious and beautiful dairy-free cheese board, perfect for any dinner party or gathering.
SESSION FOUR
Next, Ellie will demonstrate how to create dairy-free fondue, the perfect dinner party sharing dish, which you’ll tuck into as part of your lunch.
LUNCH
A morning of cheese making is hungry work and you’ll be sitting down to enjoy a hearty lunch featuring dairy-free cheeses, accompanied by some seasonal side dishes featuring veg from the River Cottage garden.
SESSION FIVE
Your third cheese recipe is Mini Mozzarella Balls, the perfect cheese for melting on pizzas or pasta dishes!
SESSION SIX
Before we start on the last cheese you’ll enjoy a tour of the River Cottage farm and garden, where you’ll be able to pick your own fresh herbs for your next cheese.
SESSION SEVEN
The final cheese of the day is a shaped sunflower seed Cream Cheese which you’ll be able to customise and flavour using your finds from the River Cottage garden. You’ll also learn how to incorporate fermentation to culture your cheeses and expand into different flavours and textures.
DEPARTURE
Head up the hill for 5pm with your four cheeses in hand.
Further Information
Directions
This course is run from River Cottage HQ on the Dorset/Devon borders. Full address details of HQ will be provided once you have booked.
Licensed Venue
We are a licensed venue. We have a wide selection of the finest organic wines available to purchase.
Accommodation
If you would like to stay at the heart of River Cottage, we offer overnight accommodation at River Cottage HQ in our beautiful 17th century farmhouse. We have three stylishly refurbished bedrooms for B&B plus the 2-bedroom Gardener's Cottage. These get booked quickly so for more information go to rivercottage.net/stay to book. Alternatively, we have put together a list of our local accommodation which includes B&Bs, self-catering, hotels and camping.
Suitability
We would advise that this course is only really suitable for 12 years of age and upwards. Under 16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. We put these guidelines in place for the safety, comfort and enjoyment of all our guests.
Allergy Advice
We’re afraid this course isn't suitable for those with soy or sunflower seed allergies.
