Appleby's Farmhouse Cheshire - 1 Pound
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Product Description
Cheshire is one of Englands oldest cheeses, it is even mentioned in the Doomesday Book! In 1939, 400 farmhouses produced approximately 6,000 tons of Cheshire a year. Today, there are only a handful left. The Hawkstone Abbey Farm is the only one remaining that makes clothbound, unpasteurized farmhouse Cheshire. At Hawkstone Abbey Farm in Shrewesbury (not quite in Cheshire), John Arlott and his wife Lucy have been making Cheshire since the 50's. In fact, their cheesemaking room is still attached to their house. John Arlott believes that one of the reasons why Cheshire cheese is so special is because of the rich deposits of salt in the soil their Friesian Holstein cross herd grazes from. Cheshire has had a reputation for being sharp and acidic, this is partly to do with the amount of starter used. Applebys Cheshire uses less. The acidity takes longer to rise resulting in a richer, buttery, more mellow flavor. Cheshires loose crumbly texture comes from cutting the curds, breaking them by hand, draining the whey and then milling them. Aged from 6-10 months, the crumbly texture belies a full bodied spicy flavor. Applebys Cheshire has a sweet, caramelly-ripe butter smell with notes of straw and a bright acidity. Enjoy this special tangy cheese with a Cabernet, Bordeaux or a fine ale.
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