Deviant: Yes, Ugly: No!
Wyfe of Bath is a hard cheese made by Bath Soft Cheese in Somerset, England.
Bath Soft Cheese shares its home, Park Farm, with a small herd of 160 Holstein Friesian cows. They have a traditional approach both to how they raise and graze their animals.
Since the farm is entirely organic, they use manure and organic compost to ensure that the environment, the land and the waterways remain uncontaminated.
Inspired by Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
Moreover, their practices ensure that the milk they collect is of the highest quality and ideal for cheesemaking. Around 60% of this is turned into cheese in their state-of-the-art cheese facility.
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales provided the inspiration for the name of this cheese. One of the character, the Wife of Bath, was similarly deviant.
Using a recipe loosely inspired by gouda, vegetarian rennet is added to pasteurised cow’s milk. Afterwards, the cheesemaker places the resulting curds in cloth-lined baskets. This method gives the semi-hard cheese its unique shape and textured rind.
At 10 weeks, it has a slightly elastic texture with tiny eyes and smells of meadows and buttercups. On the palate, the Wyfe of Bath is savoury, creamy and nutty.
How to serve Wyfe of Bath
Serve soon after removing from the fridge to enjoy the subtle flavours of the cheese. Pair with grapes or pear and wash it all down with a glass of Merlot or Minervois.
