oFESTIVE FOODo 7 9 O6P
Country cheeses to look out for
SomeWest
Wewere genuinely surprised to see somany great cheeses on offer!
Hard cheese Try a Cheddar fromtraditional makers such asMontgomerys, Keens,Quickes, The Cheddar Gorge Cheese Co. and Westcombe, or a Cornish Crumbly fromSue Proudfoot at Whalesborough.
Blue cheese According to Phil,we have a wealth of awardwinning blues. A fewto look out for include Devon Blue cow’s, Harbourne goat’s and Beenleigh ewe’s fromTicklemore Dairy, Cornish Blue (aWorld Cheese Awardwinner similar to gorgonzola) and Dorset’s Blue Vinny.
Soft cheese Cornwall and Somerset produce some lovely Bries, but for something a bit different, Phil recommends Nanette, a Camembert-style goat’s cheese that is full of flavour andmade by Annette Lee ofWoolsery. SharphamEstatemakes a great Jerseymilk Brie-style cheese, while the indulgent Elmhirst triple creamenriched and Cremet goat Brie-stylewith added Jersey double creamare allworth a try.
Flavoured etc. Most Cheddarmakers nowhave some lovely smoked cheeses, but one to look out for is Dorset Red fromFord Farm,which has an intense smoked flavourwith a great colour. There are other flavoured cheeses out there too, butmake sure it’s a goodWest Country cheese to startwith – the flavour should compliment, not overpower the cheese. For goat’s cheese tryWoolsery,Whitelake, Norsworthy or The Somerset Cheese Co.
PHIL’S FESTIVE CHEESEBOARD:
Beenleigh Blue Tangy, salty, rich and sweet all at the same time; this delicious blue ismade from ewe’smilk by Ticklemore Cheese in South Hams, Devon.
Elmhirst (well, it is Christmas) Enrichedwith double creamandmadewith Jersey cow’smilk, this award-winning soft cheese has a luxuriously rich, creamy and full-bodied flavour. Also made in Devon, this adds an indulgent element.
Cheddar Phil recommends a good quality Cheddar like Keens or Cheddar Gorge Cave Aged. There are numerous good quality Cheddars to choose fromhere in theWest Country.
Phil’s top tips
A general rule of thumb for a great cheeseboard is to choose a hard cheese, soft cheese, blue cheese and a flavoured cheese such as smoked or a differentmilk such as goat. Remember, 3-4 larger pieces of good cheese are better than lots of little bits. Visit your local cheesemonger or deli and ask to taste some local cheeses. Youwill be amazed at what you discover.
Keltic Gold For something a bit different, Keltic Gold is a ciderwashed rind cheesewith a creamy, smooth texture and full, sweet flavour. It is reminiscent of French Alpine cheeses and has wonmultiple
awards.Made on the North Cornish coast by Whalesborough Cheese.
LOW FAT OPTION
It is often hard to find a lowfat cheese that is still tasty enough towarrant being on the cheeseboard. Here at FOODLOVERwe will be opting for Cricketer Farm’s Cheeky
Cowcheese.Made here in theWest Country it has half the fat of regularmature Cheddar but tastes and looks just as good.
A BIT ON THE SIDE
A traditional fruity pickle is always awinner at Christmas, butwe are particularly fond of Hillside Food’s celery pickle – a unique partner for blue cheese.We aren’t the only ones either, as ‘Pamthe Jam’ from River Cottage says: “I love Hillside Food's Celery Pickle. The distinctive and aromatic qualities of celery are captured, simply yet quite perfectly, by delicate sweet-sour tones. It's just the right thing to servewith no end of our great British cheese: crackingwith Cheddar, brilliant with blues andmoreishwith somanymore."
34 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
What will be on Christmas?
the cheesemonger’s board this
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