Juliet Harbutt’s Cheese & Whisky Experience Celebrates Scottish Produce – Despite the Storm
6th August 2025
A unique Cheese & Whisky Experience hosted by Food from Fife and the Fine Cheesemakers of Scotland went ahead on Sunday 4th August – despite storm Floris forcing a last-minute change of venue.
Originally due to take place at Kingsbarns Distillery, the event had to be relocated when high winds led to the temporary closure of the site. Thanks to the swift support of Simone Mitchell, the event was successfully moved to Bread & Butter Café in Anstruther, where guests enjoyed a warm and engaging tasting experience.
Led by world renowned cheese expert Juliet Harbutt, founder of the British Cheese Awards & co-founder of London’s iconic Jeroboams (which will be celebrating its 40th Birthday this year), the evening featured a guided exploration of award-winning Scottish cheeses, each tasted alongside carefully selected Kingsbarns whiskies. Andrea and Mandy from the distillery joined the event at the new venue to talk guests through the flavour profiles and production stories behind each dram.
The cheeseboard showcased the quality and diversity of Scottish artisan cheese, featuring products from:
🧀 St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company
🧀 The Ethical Dairy
🧀 Connage Highland Dairy
🧀 Highland Fine Cheeses
🧀 Isle of Kintyre Cheese
🧀 Strathearn Cheese (click the link to read about the new owner – website up & running soon)
🧀 Errington Cheese
The event drew attendees from across the country, including David Finlay of The Ethical Dairy, who travelled over three hours to be there, and James Grant of No2 Pound St in Buckinghamshire, who journeyed an impressive 500 miles to attend!
The experience was made possible through the collaborative efforts of local producers and Food from Fife members. Special thanks go to Jane Stewart of St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company, who helped coordinate the event and hosted Juliet during her stay in Fife, to all the cheesemakers who contributed to the tasting & to Andrea Morris of Kingsbarns Distillery.
Food from Fife Manager Emma Johnson said:
“The atmosphere was brilliant – relaxed, welcoming, and full of flavour! It was a real joy to see so many people come together to meet Juliet and celebrate Scottish cheese and whisky – a perfect example of the creativity and community spirit we have here in Fife.”
The Cheese & Whisky Experience will support a wider programme of activity by both Food from Fife & the Fine Cheesemakers of Scotland to raise the profile of Fife produce & Scottish artisan cheese across the UK.
