Cheshire Archives | Cheese Atlas https://thecheeseatlas.com/tag/cheshire/ Best Cheeses of the World Tue, 23 May 2023 03:53:53 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://thecheeseatlas.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Small_LogoMark-PepperStem.png Cheshire Archives | Cheese Atlas https://thecheeseatlas.com/tag/cheshire/ 32 32 196917962 Appleby’s Double Gloucester https://thecheeseatlas.com/cheese-profiles/applebys-double-gloucester/ https://thecheeseatlas.com/cheese-profiles/applebys-double-gloucester/#respond Sun, 31 Jul 2022 06:40:34 +0000 https://thecheeseatlas.com/?p=31302 Raw milk Double Gloucesters are a bit of a rarity now. Read on to learn all about one of the best, Appleby’s Double Gloucester.

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Raw milk Single and Double Gloucesters are a bit of a rarity across England now. Read on to learn all about one of the best, Appleby’s Double Gloucester.

Pressed raw milk Double Gloucester wrapped in grey cloth
Clothbound Double Gloucester - Appleby's Dairy

Where does Appleby's Double Gloucester come from?

Appleby’s Double Gloucester is a raw milk cheese made on Edward and Christine Appleby’s farm in Cheshire. As the name suggests, this farm is also home to Appleby’s Cheshire.  Gloucester is a traditional pressed uncooked cheese that finds its roots in the Gloucestershire in the 16th century. Single Gloucester is made from partly skimmed milk whereas Double Gloucester uses whole fat milk taken from both morning and evening milking. 

How is Appleby's Double Gloucester made?

Using a 300-year-old recipe, head cheesemaker Garry Gray crafts a Double Gloucester that is less acidic and smoother in texture than their Cheshire. As is the case with their signature Cheshire, they add the natural dye annatto to impart an orange colour to the cheese’s paste.

Overall, the two recipes are quite similar except for variations in timing, temperature and acidity of the curd. It takes around 4 hours 20 minutes, at a temperature of up to 38.9°C (102°F), for the milk to reach the correct acidity after renneting. At this point, they cut the curds, press them for 48 hours and wrap the cheese in cloth. Maturation can last up to eight weeks. 

How to serve Appleby's Double Gloucester

At this age, Appleby’s Double Gloucester develops a firm but moist texture. Its flavours are reminiscent of warm buttered toast with subtle notes of minerals and salt. Also, watch out for a long, tangy finish. This Double Gloucester pairs beautifully with light-bodied reds such as Pinot Noir and Zinfandel or even a white like Sancerre. If you prefer pairing with beer, this raw milk beauty matches well with a number of local ales.

Thank you for reading

Thank you for reading this post about yet another amazing artisanal cheese. Have you tried this cheese before? Drop us a comment below with your thoughts.

If you enjoy learning about new cheeses, you can subscribe to our newsletter below. You will hear from us about once a week as we share new cheese profiles with you.

Finally, keep scrolling to find some more cheeses and recipes that have been recommended for you. Keep it cheesy!

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]]> https://thecheeseatlas.com/cheese-profiles/applebys-double-gloucester/feed/ 0 31302 Appleby’s Cheshire https://thecheeseatlas.com/cheese-profiles/applebys-cheshire/ https://thecheeseatlas.com/cheese-profiles/applebys-cheshire/#respond Sun, 31 Jul 2022 06:27:12 +0000 https://thecheeseatlas.com/?p=31291 Cheshire was once the most popular and significant cheese in England. Read on to learn about Appleby's Cheshire, the last of its kind.

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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.

Appleby's Cheshire hard cheese on a slate board
Raw milk Cheshire - Chorlton Cheesemongers

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.

Thank you for reading

Thank you for reading this post about yet another amazing artisanal cheese. Have you tried this cheese before? Drop us a comment below with your thoughts.

If you enjoy learning about new cheeses, you can subscribe to our newsletter below. You will hear from us about once a week as we share new cheese profiles with you.

Finally, keep scrolling to find some more cheeses and recipes that have been recommended for you. Keep it cheesy!

The post Appleby’s Cheshire appeared first on Cheese Atlas.

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