The history of cottage cheese is a bit of a mystery. At some point it crossed the Atlantic to the United States and became hugely popular; whereas over here it faded into obscurity. So popular was it with the Americans that it was even supplied to the US Navy during WWII. And it was in 1944 that Lt. Joseph Dickinson RNVR , whilst serving in the British Pacific Fleet, first came across it.
The second contact came in 1964 during a trip to the USA to look at modern farming techniques. From such chance encounters emerged the idea to try making cottage cheese on a commercial scale back in its country of origin. It took another ten years before the first pots appeared. Using a vat the size of a bath-tub, wooden hay rakes as stirrers and literally hand-packed, it was a labour of love.
After a while, the switch was made from a sweet to a soured-cream dressing and so was created English-Style Cottage Cheese: born and bred at Longley Farm.
