Looking for great cheese?
Redlap and Salty
Stone Tree Dairy, Devon
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Redlap (pictured) and Salty are both made from raw goats’ milk. Salty – subtle ivory, crumbly and as the name suggests very salty. The award-winning semi-hard Redlap boasts an attractive rusty-coloured (edible) rind, is acidic, not as goaty (pungent) as expected, sweet on the nose and unexpectedly piquant. Owner Helen Boyd, who is rather partial to a nip of Port herself, will be happy to answer all your questions and of course, should you place an order.
Supplier: The Cheese Shed, Bovey Tracey, Devon
Pitchfork Cheddar
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Recommended by Cheese Expert Ned Palmer, the Trethowan Brothers` World Cheese Award-winning Pitchfork Cheddar is made from raw cow’s milk and animal-based rennet. The flavours are pleasantly sweet, the texture buttery and nutty/earthy on the palate. Head cheesemaker Ben Ticehurst - who I met at the Tavistock Cheese Fair - told me where the name comes from and it would appear the team likes it rough. During the salt- and curd-mixing stage they use real pitchforks before aging (the cheese) for 12-15 months. A favourite for Vintage Port and I can imagine, excellent on toast!
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Supplier: The Cheese Shed, Bovey Tracey, Devon
Cornish Blue
​Cornish Cheese Company, Cornwall
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Cornish Blue is produced from pasteurised cow milk & vegetarian rennet. This semi-soft blue was too blue for me, although the producers themselves describe it as mild. A gorgeous golden colour with fine veins, a buttery texture with a yoghurty and tart aftertaste.
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Supplier: The Cheese Shed, Bovey Tracey, Devon
Cave Aged Cheddar
Ford Farm, West Dorset
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Cave-aged Cheddar sounded very interesting. This Cheddar is matured 200 feet underground in the famous Wookey-Hole Caves. It`s creamy, a golden buttery colour with subtle, sweet earthy aromas which for the Vintage Port, were simply too mild.
Made from pasteurised cow’s milk and vegetarian rennet.
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Supplier: The Cheese Shed, Bovey Tracey, Devon
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Fotocredit: Ford Farm
Bovey Straight
​Sharpham Dairy, Devon
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Sharpham Dairy provides this cheese to Owner Ian at The Cheese Shed, who then matures it himself for a further 5 months. The result – Bovey Straight – made of pasteurised cow`s milk & vegetarian rennet, this hard-rind cheese is a gorgeous golden yellow and sweet and crumbly on the inside. Quite similar to a Cheddar but not classified as such, Bovey Straight is sharper than Stitheons, with a saltier finish.
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Supplier: The Cheese Shed, Bovey Tracey, Devon
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Fotocredit: The Cheese Shed
Stichelton
​Stichelton Dairy, Nottinghamshire
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Stichelton I ordered online. Although it`s made in the exact same way as traditional Stilton, Joe Schneider can`t name it as such due to his location. Joe hence named the cheese after the Anglo-Saxon name for the town of Stilton – Stichelton. He uses raw and not pasteurised milk and the flavours in the cheese differ depending on which part you taste first. The blue bits are almost metallic, the softer white parts - sweet and crumbly. The rind has beautiful orange hues, which vary in depth depending on the age.
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Supplier: Neal`s Yard Dairy
Cornish Cheddar
​Cornish Cheese Company, Cornwall
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Cornish Cheddar – I bought in (Morrisons) supermarket having communicated with the Producer and still indecisive in the Cheddar department. Cornish Cheddar is coated in black wax (wax truckle), which put me off to start, but once opened the cheese is delicious, pale golden in colour, sweet on both nose and palate with a savoury, salty bite. Its` texture is creamy and in places even crunchy - due to the calcium lactate crystals. Novices apparently mistake these for mould. Strong in character, Cornish Cheddar paired excellently with the Port and is the ideal candidate for a traditional Ploughmans.
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Fotocredit: Cornish Cheese Co.
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Yorkshire Pecorino
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Yorkshire Pecorino was suggested by my colleague, and Food Photographer Ronni Allen. Made of pasteurised ewe’s milk and vegetarian rennet, it is pale lemon in colour with a greyish rind which has the appearance of a very ripe Camembert. The Pecorino is a young cheese with just 30 days of maturing hence still soft with a very yoghurty flavour. I found the texture a little waxy and the flavour bitter, but that may just be what is also known as Lactic Sour.
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Supplier: Tesco Supermarket
Old Winchester
Lyburn Farm, Hampshire
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Old Winchester – pasteurised cow milk and vegetarian rennet. An award-winning dry hard and crystalline cheese with a light golden almost grey-brown colour and a hard rind (remove). The bitter-sweet acidity went well with the Port initially but lost it in length. I think if the Port was older – perhaps 8-10 years, this cheese would be perfect. The grain is course, crumbly, but chewy on the palate with an almost herby, dry grassy feel.
Supplier: Tesco Supermarket
Witheridge on Hay
Nettlebed Creamery, Oxfordshire
Witheridge on Hay - is aged in hay, which was dried and toasted after harvest. The unique process lends grassy aromas to the creamy smooth texture. Made of pasteurised cow milk and animal rennet, Witheridge has the appearance of a Gouda but with a bitter-sweet, almost peppery finish.
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Supplier: Tesco Supermarket
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Fotocredit: Nettlebed Creamery
Stitheons
Lynher Dairy, Cornwall
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Lynher Dairy are well-known for their Yarg cheese wrapped in Wild Garlic or Nettles but one they produce as a Naked-Yarg – Stitheons. It is made from pasteurised cow milk and animal rennet. Crumbly when cut but chewy and smooth on the palate with a nice sharp lemony bite. A great partner for the Vintage Port as it worked well with the sweetness. The flavours though, weren`t as intense as those of the Cornish Cheddar. Difficult decision-making time.
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Supplier: the Deli Ashburton
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Fotocredit: Lynher Dairy
Beenleigh Blue
​Ticklemore Cheese, Devon
Beenleigh Blue – A close contestant to Beauvale but made from sheep (not cows) milk and vegetarian rennet. This was Taster Carol`s immediate favourite. A soft blue cheese more creamy than crumbly, with a beautiful pale, almost ivory colour. Beenleigh has fine irregular blue veins lending sharp citrus notes to the overall sweetness. Taste-wise, it was too blue for me but as I said, a favourite for lovers of a good blue. It also paired well with the Port.
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Supplier: the Deli Ashburton
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Fotocredit: Ticklemore Cheese
Washbourne
Sharpham Dairy, Devon
I met Greg Parsons personally at the Tavistock Cheese Fair in August. His Washbourne – an unpressed washed curd cheese made from pasteurised ewe`s milk and vegetarian rennet is nutty on the palate, creamy yellow in colour with a pleasantly smooth but chewy texture. In search of a Vintage Port match, this wasn`t the ideal combination, although I can imagine it goes well with a fruity jam or figgy mustard. Greg`s cheeses have won a number of awards - please check out his whole range - no wonder he is also Chair of Food Drink Devon.
PS: Greg was the first producer to try his own cheese with the Vintage Port at exactly 9.15 am in the morning ;-)
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Pendragon
Somerset Cheese Co., Somerset
I met Nick Robinson at the Tavistock Cheese Fair - a great and relaxed event for cheese lovers near and far. Buffalo milk sounded interesting and Pendragon certainly didn`t disappoint. Classified as a hard cheese, the texture is buttery, the colour pure. As creamy, rich and full-bodied as to be expected (apparently) from Buffalo milk. Great length with a quite savoury aftertaste. Pendragon is made from Buffalo milk (I presume pasteurised) and vegetarian rennet. A cheese I really enjoyed, if not with the Vintage Port but suggest you also try the smoked version.
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Beauvale
Cropwell Bishop Creamery, Nottinghamshire
Beauvale - traditional Stilton - a wonderfully rich soft blue cheese, buttery yellow in colour with fine silvery veins. It`s indulgently creamy, mild in flavour, spoonable and just melts in your mouth.
With 160 years of cheese-making experience, Cropwell Bishop Creamery make Beauvale with full fat pasteurised cow’s milk (mandatory for Stilton) and animal rennet. The blue flavours provide savoury depth without being overpowering.
Hand-made, Beauvale has been described as Stilton`s subtle cousin:
enticing, luscious, seductive,
hence immediately put in pole position for the Vintage Port.
It`s delicious!
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Vintage Clothbound Cheddar
Quicke`s, Devon
Vintage Clothbound Cheddar – Quicke`s have been crafting cheese for decades using their very own old and prized starter culture. They use Cornish sea-salt and wrap all Clothbound cheddar in lard-drenched muslin.
This allows the cheese to breathe but not dry out. During 24 months of aging the developing mould lends a peppery bite to this deep yellow, buttery Vintage Cheddar and additional mineralic complexity thanks to the Cornish sea salt.
A unique flavour and one Jane Quicke describes as similar to horseradish. In combination with its sweet character, Quicke`s Vintage Cheddar paired beautifully with the Vintage Port.
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