I passed Neal's Yard Dairy in Borough Market last week which has found a fiendish new way to lure you into the shop (not that I need a great deal of encouragement): a table outside with cheeses to try.
The one that appealed to me most was St James, an unpasteurised, brine-washed sheeps' cheese that's made by Holker Farm Dairy in Cumbria. It's not new - it won the James Aldridge Award for 'Best Unpasteurised Cheese of the Year' back in 2005 but it hadn't entered my radar.
I'm not even sure I've had a washed rind sheeps' cheese before but like most sheeps cheeses it wasn't quite as rich as cows' cheeses - a benefit when you have the unctuous texture of a washed rind cheese to contend with. As you can see it was in perfect condition - wonderfully rich and savoury, but not over the top flavour-wise. So not particularly 'stinky'.
Further proof, if proof were needed, that British cheeses are up there with the best in the world. You can read more about it here.
3 comments:
I have a little wedge of St. James in the fridge right now. Glad to see that you've discovered it, too.
Sooo good isn't it? Could become a favourite.
You know I went to Neal's Yard Dairy in Borough Market in August and it was 6pm and the door was still open. Of course, not really knowing any better, I kind of went in and was basically in awe of it's majesty and then was swiftly kicked out. However, the lady was nice enough to offer to sell me some milk products from the front but the cheese counter was closed... I was pretty disappointed but, I went back another day. I really need to go back to the UK one of these days, so much delicious cheese that I still haven't tried.
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