My odd job: I’m a cheese grader whose nose is insured for £5million

My odd job: I’m a cheese grader whose nose is insured for £5million

One could say I have the cheesiest job in the world – I am proud to call myself a master cheese grader.

A Somerset girl born and bred, I have been working in the dairy industry for 30 years and for the last 10 years, I have been working for award-winning cheese-makers Wyke Farms, based in the Mendip Hills of Somerset.

My role is so highly valued within Wyke Farms that my nose and sense of smell is protected by way of an insurance policy with a value of £5 million – I’m truly honored to have such an asset!

My job is focussed on maintaining the consistency of the cheddar and butter we produce.




The recipe hasn’t changed for over 150 years and nor have the cheeses.

I grade up to 100 cheeses per day, three days per week.

Cheese is a living thing and there are many variables that can affect the flavours in the finished product – like the cow’s diet, the area the milk has come from, the season and how the cheese is produced – so attention to detail is key.

Each cheese is checked visually first. The aromas are then assessed, followed by how the cheese feels. Finally, it’s the taste, which allows me to assess how the cheese is maturing.

(Picture: Lanx Photography for Metro.co.uk)

Grading is usually carried out in the morning, when your taste buds are the most sensitive – so basically, I eat cheese for breakfast three days a week!

Our ancestors used to call cheese graders ‘fortune tellers of cheese’ and they had an almost mythical status – you need to be able to smell the cheese and predict its flavours in 18 months or two years’ time.

It is both a science and an art.

Initial assessment of each cheese allows me to make subtle changes to the cheese-making process and determine how the cheese will mature with time.

Further assessment of the cheese at later stages of maturation allows me to select the appropriate flavour and texture profiles to allocate production batches to appropriate products in our range.

Every vat of cheese differs, and I draw on my experience to assess each one on the same basis that the many graders before me have.

(Picture: Lanx Photography for Metro.co.uk)

Although there are very few female cheese-graders in the world, I’m not the only woman to grade cheese at Wyke Farms.

The business is still family-run and it was grandmother Ivy who started the cheese-making business over 150 years ago and graded her cheeses every week to ensure they were maturing well.

She was a very special lady, and I am honoured to be walking in her footsteps.

Some say practice makes perfect – it really does in my case. My decisions might not always be perfect, but it’s taken a lot of practice and dedication to hone my knowledge.

In the time that I have been with Wyke, I’ve worked across production and technical teams, and have gained lots of valuable experience imparted from recently retired colleague, Nigel Pooley, who had 53 years of experience in the industry.



Last year our Farmhouse Vintage was crowned Best in Show, with another 20kg block of our crumbly Vintage taking Reserve Champion at a local show.

Both 20kg blocks crowned, worth £500, were stolen.

To this day, we haven’t been able to locate them.

(Picture: Lanx Photography for Metro.co.uk)

I don’t know whether to feel upset that we never got to share the winning blocks with our customers, or just incredibly proud that I graded two winning cheddars fit enough to be desired by a cheese thief – the latter I think!

People often ask me, ‘Do you like cheese?’

I mean, that’s just a stupid question – my life revolves around cheese.

Although I only grade hard cheeses in my job, I have a passion for all things cheesy and enjoy invitations to be a judge of dairy products at quality awards across the world.

As there is no cheese grading industry as such, salaries tend to be based on your location and your experience.

I am rewarded not just financially but with an interesting and varied job – and of course, a fantastic supply of cheese.

However, the job is something that many people can start doing with just a little instruction – it just takes 20 years to perfect!

There is now an Academy of Cheese, which offers classes to those interested in pursuing a career in cheese.

How to get involved with My odd job: My odd job is a new weekly series from Metro.co.uk, published every Monday. If you have an unusual job and want to get involved, email qin.xie@metro.co.uk.

MORE: Diets full of fat from meat, cheese and milk are much better for you, study finds

MORE: Student terrified of cheese keeps getting pranked by insensitive flatmates

MORE: People who eat more cheese are slimmer than those who don’t

Advertisement Advertisement