“IT made me smile,” says Vicky, explaining how she felt when she heard that the Loch Arthur Creamery team had achieved one of the highest awards in the cheese industry – the Best Organic Cheese.
Vicky is one of a number of Loch Arthur community members with special needs who are an integral part of the team which produces an annual total of 15 tonnes of hand-made organic cheeses plus yoghurt and butter. Since 1991, their cheeses have won major awards every year, but the latest one was very special.
At the 2009 British Cheese Awards, their Criffel semi-soft organic cheese was one of just 66 out of the total of 900 entries to be awarded a gold medal. It was then judged to be the best of the 102 organic cheeses.
Alistair, another member of the creamery team, was also delighted with the award. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard we had won,” he says.
Michael has worked in the creamery for a long time and enjoys being involved in an award-winning enterprise. “I’ve been in magazines and newspapers and on radio and television,” he says. “Sometimes the cameras come here.”
Loch Arthur is a rural Camphill community at Beeswing, Dumfriesshire, in south west Scotland, which includes men and women with learning disabilities. A total of about 70 people live there including 28 in supported tenancies.
The community’s 650 acres are farmed according to biodynamic principles and 
the dairy herd provides 60 per cent of the milk used by the creamery. The remainder is bought from local organic farms. Cheese-making takes place on three days each week and the community members on the team have all been involved for some time.
“All are very skilled in their work areas and we really miss someone if they are off sick or away on holiday,” says co-worker Barry Graham. “There is no notion here of just giving people something to do. Everyone fulfils an important role in the production of our end products.”
Those include Loch Arthur Farmhouse, Crannog and Kebbuck, as well as the Criffel cheese. The creamery also produces Ricotta, butter and yoghurt. Ten 
years ago their Kebbuck was judged the Best Scottish Cheese at the British Cheese Awards where they have won numerous other medals. The cheeses are regular award winners at the Royal Highland Show and there are numerous medal cards on display in the Loch Arthur farm shop, which has also received many accolades.
Last year, the farm shop was listed by both the Independent and the Daily Telegraph as one of the best farm shops in Britain. More recently, in November, a Scottish Homes & Interiors magazine food columnist rated it as the best all-round farm shop.
Congratulations to Loch Arthur Community. You can visit and buy their award winning cheeses on line at www.locharthur.org.uk.