About Rennet & Rind Routes

Rennet & Rind Routes — English Cheese Festivals is a small, practical project built by people who like wandering festival aisles with a notebook and a spare tote. We map calm ways to move between tents and halls at English cheese festivals, and we write in plain language so you can shape a day that fits your pace. We are not event organisers. We do not set the schedules, decide who sells what, or promise that a stall will be open when you arrive. Conditions change, weather shifts plans, and queues ebb and flow; our notes are a considered start rather than a binding plan. If a hall is closed or a demo overruns, take a breath, choose an alternate link, and keep the day humane.

What “routes” mean to us

When we say route, we mean a workable pattern for a few hours: where to begin when gates open, which corners feel less crowded by late morning, and when it helps to pause for water or a sit-down. Our cards avoid buzzwords. You will see short, descriptive lines: “gentle ramp”, “wide gate”, “shade near the hedge”, “tasting spoons provided”. If something is uncertain, we say so. If there’s a better alternative in wet weather, we mark it. We prefer maps you can glance at with one hand while the other holds a paper-wrapped wedge.

How we write

We rely on prior visits, public information, and common-sense checks the day before we publish a route. We talk to stallholders when they have a second, and we respect a quick “not now”. We note where blue cheeses are strong on the nose, where soft rinds go early, and which aged wheels draw long lines once lunchtime nears. We keep adjectives modest, and we avoid scoring makers; tasting is subjective and mood matters. You deserve straightforward notes, not a scoreboard.

Who we are

• Eliza Hart — Route Planner. Sketches loops that feel human: no sprints, no FOMO. She keeps a pencil map and a spare pen.
• Max Turner — Cheese Liaison. Speaks stallholder. He asks simple questions, listens, and thanks people for their time.
• Priya Collins — Access Notes. Checks gradients, step heights, and gate widths with a pocket tape and patience.
• Owen Dale — Field Editor. Polishes wording, trims jargon, and ensures we admit when we don’t know.

Our approach to tasting language

Tasting language can slip into theatre. We aim for words you can point to at a counter without feeling silly: mild, creamy, crumbly, sharp; soft-ripened, blue, washed rind, aged hard. If a maker uses local terms, we note them and add a quick gloss. If you want poetry, the cheeses can speak for themselves. If you want a decision, plain words help you ask for a smaller or larger cut with no performance.

Families and quieter pacing

Families, buggies, and mixed-energy groups often do better with shorter hops and places to pause. Our “Family Pace Plan” cards flag wider gates, flatter approaches, and benches that are likely to be free. They also suggest soft cheeses that tend to please new tasters without overwhelming them. None of this is a promise; it’s a pattern that has worked for many people we’ve watched and walked with.

Wet weather and change

Rain changes everything: surfaces slick, tents flap, and queue lines get redrawn with tape. Our “Wet-Weather Alternates” offer covered connectors and firmer ground so you can keep going without trudging. Sometimes the best decision is a pause with tea. Sometimes the right move is a loop to the other hall where ventilation is kinder. We will always say when a path is merely likely to hold up and suggest an option that is safer underfoot.

How we handle information

We publish routes as calm guidance, not as orders. We include indicative timings because they help a plan take shape, but we expect you to adjust. If a live demo runs long, take the next link on the map. If a marquee becomes packed, step out, breathe, and re-enter when it thins. A good day often comes from a few decent choices, not a rigid itinerary.

Plain ethics

We do not take payment for favourable words. If we are ever given samples, we say so in the piece, and the copy still leans on access, pacing, and clarity rather than opinion. Our interests are simple: clearer days for visitors, steady rhythms for stalls, and fewer tense moments at busy counters.

Accessibility notes

Access is not one thing. A route that works for someone with steady balance may not suit a buggy or a chair. Where we can, we check gradients, surfaces, camber, temporary ramps, and the height of tasting tables. We also watch how crowds actually move, which often matters more than a map. When conditions are unclear or changing, we write that down. You can then make your own call on the day.

Data, privacy, and simple contact

We keep this website light. We use essential cookies so pages load and a small measure of anonymous analytics to see what’s read. There are no ads and no trackers that follow you across the web. If you use our contact form, your message lands in a single mailbox that we check in the evenings. We use it to reply and to keep a record of what you asked, then we tidy it. You can always write to ask what we hold and to request a tidy-up or deletion.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 441 905 736 482
Address: 16 Friar Street, Worcester WR1 2LZ, England

How you can use our work

You are welcome to use our notes to plan a day for yourself or your group. Please do not republish our routes or maps in full without asking first. If you want to quote a short excerpt with a link, that’s fine. Photographs on this site are either our own or used with permission; please treat them with the same care you expect for your work.

The mood we aim for

Festivals can feel loud and fast. We aim for steady. Start early if you can. Carry small change for quick cuts. Ask for a sample if you need one, and accept a “not today” without fuss. Drink water. Share space. Thank people. When the day winds down, carry your cheeses gently and keep them cool. Good manners, like good curds, take time and attention.

Limits and responsibilities

We cannot promise that our routes will suit every person or every day, and we avoid certainty where it would be unfair. If something in our notes seems unsafe when you arrive, choose a different path. Local stewards and signs outrank our route cards. We want you to have a better day, not a brittle plan.

A note on Worcester

We write from Worcestershire, where dairy history runs deep. The address for correspondence is 16 Friar Street, Worcester WR1 2LZ, England and the main phone is 441 905 736 482. If you have corrections, route ideas, or access notes we missed, send them to [email protected] with a clear subject line. We will read, consider, and, where appropriate, update a page with thanks.

Looking ahead

The project grows slowly. We would rather publish one good, clear loop than three messy ones. As festivals evolve, so will our notes. If new layouts improve flow, we will redraw our maps. If a hall becomes less accessible, we will say so plainly. The aim stays the same: approachable guidance, free of noise, that helps you enjoy England’s cheese festivals on your own terms.

How we draw maps

Our maps begin as pencil sketches. We walk the site perimeter, mark likely crossings, and note where light, noise, or bottlenecks may shape your experience. A loop appears when two or three good ideas connect. If a route depends on one fragile assumption — a narrow bridge staying open, a side door being staffed — we either find a backup or avoid publishing until we can confirm. We favour clarity over coverage. A tidy loop you remember beats a sprawling tangle you forget the moment you put the paper away.

Community notes and updates

Festivals belong to the people who attend them. We welcome thoughtful corrections and additions from visitors who walked a route and noticed something we missed. A quick email with a photo and a line like “ramp steeper than it looks” or “water tap moved to hall B” can help hundreds of people after you. If we update a page because of a reader’s note, we say so. Public credit is optional; quiet thanks are guaranteed.

Photography and people

We take photographs to support navigation, not to stage performances. We avoid close-ups of people without permission and we never publish images that could embarrass someone. If you appear in a photo and want it removed, write to us with the link and we will address it quickly. We prefer wide shots that show space, surface, and flow — the things that matter when you are choosing where to put your feet next.

Sustainability, waste, and carrying well

Festivals are temporary towns. Please bring a bottle you can refill, use bins properly, and carry a small bag that fits snugly at your side. We favour light kit: a cloth for wrapping, a pencil, a pen, and a pocket notebook. If you bring a cool bag, use a small ice pack rather than a frozen bottle that knocks against your leg all day. Many stalls now offer compostable sampling spoons or ask you to keep one for several tastes; both approaches reduce waste and keep the line moving.

Worcester and the patchwork of festivals

From Worcester we can reach a surprising range of festivals by train and bus, which keeps our footprint modest. The Midlands also puts us in conversation with cheeses that do not always travel to the capital in large quantity. Writing from here reminds us that “English cheese” is a patchwork of farms, microclimates, and styles. The same cheese can feel different in a windy field in spring and a warm hall in late summer, and our notes aim to reflect that.

Editorial standards

Every published route goes through two rounds of reading: one for sense and structure, and one for fairness. We check whether a phrase might put undue pressure on a stall or imply a guarantee we cannot honour. We also look for jargon that crept in during drafting. If a sentence does not help you decide when or where to walk, we cut it.

How to support the project

If our work helps you have a calmer day, the best support is to tell a friend or share a link. If you want to help us cover hosting and train fares, you can ask for a small donation link by email; we keep support discreet. We do not run ads, and we do not trade visibility for favours. Keeping the site light and independent lets us focus on the only thing that matters: the quality of your day at a festival.

Boundaries and expectations

We cannot respond instantly, and we sometimes decline requests when we lack the capacity or the information to do a good job. If we miss a message, please nudge us once. We set boundaries to protect the attention the project needs. In return, we offer care with details, honesty about limits, and updates when conditions shift.