Ogleshield is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese made by Jamie Montgomery in Somerset, England.
A family tradition
The Montgomery’s have been making this Cheddar at Manor Farm for three generations now.
Jamie Montgomery’s Grandfather, Sir Archibald Langman, established the family farm in 1911. While many other cheesemakers shut down during the World Wars, they persevered with making their amazing Cheddar.
When Jamie Montgomery took over the family business in the mid 90’s, he was determined to create a cheese that was different to the ubiquitous “supermarket” Cheddars.
A herd of Jersey cows
Manor farm is home to a herd of Friesian-Holstein and Jersey cows. Over three generations, the Montgomery family have used the milk from their Friesian-Holsteins to make Montgomery Cheddar.
Originally, they were selling their Jersey milk because it can’t be used to make their signature Cheddar. However, in 1998, they developed a new recipe that would allow them to capture the amazing qualities of the milk.
The Raclette from Somerset
The new recipe was a hybrid of Cheddar and French Tommes and used raw Jersey milk. The Montgomery’s decided to call the cheese Jersey Shield.
After some early trials, William Ogleshield, senior cheese affineur at Neal’s Yard Dairy, suggested that they wash the wheels in brine.
Overall, this process would trap more moisture in the cheese and encourage a sticky orange rind to form. Hence was born Somerset’s version of Raclette and it was fittingly renamed Ogleshield.
What Ogleshield tastes like
Ogleshield is a gentle yet complex cheese, with a sweet and fruity aroma. Moreover, its flavour is warm and savoury with notes of chicken broth.
The texture beneath the pungent pink rind is soft and elastic. As a result, it melts beautifully when grilled.
How to serve Ogleshield
While this semi-hard wonder can be served on a cheese board, it truly comes into its own when melted.
Serve using a Raclette grill or simply slice and melt in a sandwich! Pair with Damson paste and Orkney oat cakes.
