Cheshire was once England’s most popular cheese. But, as Cheddar gained popularity, it gradually faded into the shadows. Read on to learn about Appleby’s Cheshire, the only raw milk version currently made in the UK.
Where does Appleby's Cheshire come from?
Cheshire is a dense and crumbly British territorial cheese that comes from Cheshire and four neighbouring counties. Remarkably, Cheshire was once the most popular and significant cheese in England. Indeed, the pressed uncooked cheese dominated the London market in the 17th and 18th centuries.
But the advent of industrialisation would change all of that as cheaper and more efficient Cheddars took over the marketplace.
How is Appleby's Cheshire made?
Appleby’s Cheshire is currently the only raw milk, clothbound farmhouse Cheshire still in production in Britain. Using the milk of their small herd of Friesian cows, the Applebys make both a white Cheshire and their signature orange Cheshire. On their farm, they use morning and evening milk together with a home-produced starter culture.
The production is similar to Cheddar except that the curds are cut into blocks and broken, rather than being stacked and flipped. And they achieve the orange colour of their Cheshire by adding the natural dye, annatto.
How to serve Appleby's Cheshire
The ageing process for their cheese lasts between six weeks to 10 months, depending on the size of the wheel. A mature Appleby’s Cheshire is firm, yet moist and flaky. Overall, the cheese shows rich and mineral flavours with savoury notes of grass.
We recommend pairing this beautiful cheese with a glass of local dark ale.
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