New indie documentary ‘RAW: The Story of a Small Cheese’ set for November release

An independent documentary following the journey of new artisan cheesemaker, Jake Goldstein of Primrose Creamery in Nottinghamshire, will be released online from Wednesday 4 November. Made by Director of Photography Nick James and Producer Sam Brice, and supported by Chiswick Cheese Market, ‘RAW: The Story of a Small Cheese’ offers a rare insight into the challenges, processes and realities of raw milk cheese production. 

The film tracks Jake as he prepares to enter the Artisan Cheese Awards for the first time, following him from his daily cheesemaking duties at the creamery, located at the School of Artisan Food on the Welbeck Estate, right through to judging and the all-important awards ceremony that could prove so important to the future of his new business. 

Featuring candid interviews with Jake and his partner Wendy, alongside comment from many of those who have been a part of Primrose Creamery’s story, the documentary sets an emotive, personal journey against the backdrop of Britain’s artisan cheesemaking scene. 

Subjects included in the film:

  • Jake Goldstein, co-founder of Primrose Creamery

  • Katie Williams (Wendy), co-founder of Primrose Creamery

  • Dr. Matthew O'Callaghan OBE, organiser of the Artisan Cheese Awards

  • Ruth Raskin, head of cheese care at The Fine Cheese Co.

  • Fran Warde, co-founder of Chiswick Cheese Market

  • Lucy Cufflin, co-founder of Chiswick Cheese Market

  • Jonathan Pearcey, founder of The Crafty Cheese Man

  • Rachel Holding, training partner manager at the Academy of Cheese

  • Graham Walker, dairy farm manager at the Welbeck Estate

From milk collections to maturation, ‘RAW: The Story of a Small Cheese’ documents Jake as he makes final tweaks to his two raw milk cheeses, Eggleston and Lindley, ahead of their first outing at the Artisan Cheese Awards in Melton Mowbray. Long days of ladling and long nights of anticipation follow, before all is revealed on awards night.

Jake Goldstein, co-founder of Primrose Creamery, commented:

“When we agreed to make the documentary, I don't think I quite appreciated how vulnerable it would feel to let cameras into our lives. Starting a creamery is incredibly hard, particularly working with raw milk, where there's so much at stake and so much outside your control. Throw the pressure of entering the Artisan Cheese Awards into the mix and it's been quite a journey. The film is incredibly honest about the highs and lows, and that's actually quite scary to put out into the world. But I wanted people to see what building something like this really takes.”

Nick James, director of photography, said:

“As a keen cheese appreciator, it struck me that cheese was one of the foods I ate most, yet knew very little about all that goes into making them. I felt there must be an appetite for a story-led project in the artisan cheese space, and so teamed up with Sam whose editorial work had initially sparked the question ‘how on earth was that made?’. The journey follows Jake competing at the Artisan Cheese Awards, while exploring the many challenges along the way and hopefully opens the door into exactly what goes into producing cheese at the highest level.”

Sam Brice, producer, added:

“Britain loves its cheese, but there’s a huge knowledge gap when it comes to our understanding of what goes into artisan products, and just how many incredible cheeses we have on our shores. As with every cheese project I get involved in, the goal here is to bring our cheese lovers and cheesemakers a little closer together. With costs soaring everywhere, we need to appreciate everything cheesemakers do – from better farming and handmade processes through to preserving our food heritage and creating local jobs – or they simply won’t get the support they deserve.”

‘RAW: The Story of a Small Cheese’ will be released on Wednesday 4 November, available to stream globally on YouTube. Running time 20 minutes.

Primrose Creamery’s range of raw milk cheeses are available to purchase from retailers including Neal’s Yard Dairy, La Fromagerie, Buchanans Cheesemonger and many more independent cheesemongers across the UK.