IT WAS a relaxed and knowledgeable visit when the Earl and Countess of Wessex toured Quicke's at Newton St Cyres on Tuesday morning. They had arrived by helicopter at the sports field beside Lords Meadow Leisure Centre, being taken to Newton St Cyres by car, where they were greeted by cheesemaker Mary Quicke, her family and staff. Her Majesty the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward celebrated his 50th birthday in March and to mark this landmark event, he and the Countess were being shown the Best of Wessex, a packed tour, of which part was visiting Quicke's and officially opening Quicke's Farm Kitchen, a cafe created in a safari tent with a mobile kitchen. Inside is so cosy and it stood up to the storms since its opening a fortnight ago. Among local people to welcome the Royal couple were wholesalers served by Quicke's, people who sell the cheeses and some of those who had done the work putting up the kitchen. Among representatives of Mid Devon District Council were Cllr John Berry and his wife, Rosemary, Cllr Peter Hare-Scott (Leader) and Paul Williams (head of Environmental Services, representing chief executive Kevin Finan). Newton St Cyres Primary School's school council was there, two children from each age group, with their teacher Miss Helen Couch. Seven years old Grace Hancock from Year Two presented the Countess with a posy that had been picked in the garden of Sherwood, by Lucy Quicke, 15th generation of the family and daughter of John Quicke, Mary's brother. The Earl and Countess were also given a hamper of local produce from the Farm Shop, including a sample of Quicke's Vintage Cheddar that recently won best cheddar prize at the British Cheese Awards 2014. The best of 150 cheeses, it was an award won by Quicke's three times in the past six years. The impressive trophy was on show. During their hour-long tour, Prince Edward and his wife were introduced to many members of the Quicke's team and escorted throughout the dairy to see, first-hand, all aspects of the cheese making process. This included the impressive "Cheese Cathedral" maturing rooms, including "ironing" a cheese and taking out a sample core with a special instrument. "They were really interested in everything," Mary Quicke told me. "It was wonderful opportunity to introduce the Earl and Countess of Wessex to our farm, of which I am immensely proud. "Visits such as this not provide great exposure for local businesses, they also help to promote the principles to which we adhere and operate by. "Farming is so crucial to our rural economy and it is, therefore, vitally important that the British Royal family continue to show their support for the people who maintain the land and preserve it for future generations." Quicke's have made cheese on their dairy farm since 1973, using milk from their cows. Mary writes a monthly Dairy Diary with information about the farm and its animals, plus the cheese making with a recipe. The plaque for the Farm Kitchen that the Earl and Countess unveiled will go up outside the cafe. Its base was made of cheese boards (used in making the cheese) like a big wedge of cheese and for the unveiling, stood on top of three truckles of Cheddar cheese. Mary said that she had always wanted to have a cafe, where people could see the cows grazing while dining on the farm produce. Flowers for the salads and other dishes come from Mary's garden. Even the tables are sort of home-grown having been made from cheese boards, the wooden racks upon which the maturing cheeses stand. Some are obeche wood, a particularly hard wood, some are poplar, planted by Mary's father. MORE PICTURES IN ISSUE 985