To talk about a cheese route through the United Kingdom, you have to imagine, above all, that emerald green of the british grasses , as it is the key ingredient of products that not only have their own space in the national pantry, but also international recognition.
With over seven hundred different from north to south, varieties that reflect the terroir and in many cases the historical peculiarities of each area, we enter deep England in search of the secret of its cheeses Not forgetting Wales and Scotland.
cheddar
Somerset it is one of the most beautiful counties from the south of england and it is also the Cradle of Cheddar. This English classic is exquisite, especially when it comes to the handcrafted versions that keep those ancestral ties with the ways of making from another era and all the flavor and history of a cheese that they already have references from the 12th century.
Corton Denham, Somerset.
The cheddar gorge (Cheddar Gorge), located in the heart of the mendip hills , an area of protected natural beauty in the west of the country, it is one of the iconic landscapes of the English West Country.
In addition, it offers an opportunity to take a country walk and culminate it by buying a good cheese, or having a West Country Plowmans , a typical dish of the area which includes bread, cheese and usually pickles such as onions, as well as butter and some chutney. It often also includes apples, hard-boiled eggs, and ham.
Made with Cow milk , Cheddar is one of those international cheeses found everywhere, but the quality doesn't always live up to its legend.
Two prominent Cheddar producers that always hit the mark are Montgomery , which carries the weight of tradition on its shoulders, and Trethowan Brothers , a younger cheese factory that makes a different Cheddar, called Pitchfork , but equally delicious and also respecting tradition.
This is also one of the most reinterpreted cheeses outside British borders. Likewise, within the island, in addition to Somerset, there are also versions that are made in other areas, such as the isle of mull , in Scotland.
STILTON
With world renown and a flavor that leaves no one indifferent, the stilton was born , according to the High Court of England, in the area of Melton Mowbray , in the county of Leicestershire, and is the king of British blue cheeses.
Produced with cow's milk, curiously today Stilton cheese can only be called legally so if it is produced in the protected geographical areas in which the denomination of origin of the cheese is included, which are the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire.
This means that the Cambridgeshire town of Stilton, after which the cheese is named, is left out of the PDO.
Long live blue cheese.
The Stilton's Ferrari is the Colston Bassett, made in a cheese factory with roots in Nottingham that has operating since 1913 and that it makes one of the best Stiltons money can buy.
worth visiting the idyllic village of the same name and make a stop at Martin's Arms, a pub housed in a charming listed building, with a beautiful garden in which to relax and let time pass and where, in addition to exquisite food -such as tea-smoked duck terrines or scotch egg with pork fillets -, they serve local cheese boards.
Colston Bassett.
And in nearby Nottingham, which is known for its textile industry and for being the Robin Hood's house It is worth stopping to enjoy the art Gallery Nottingham Contemporary in the Lace Market area.
Inaugurated in 2009, the award-winning building has become an architectural emblem of the city and its façade honors the great lace tradition from the area with a design of cherries from the mid-nineteenth century of Richard Birkin.
To stock up on local cheeses before leaving, a good place to hang out is the Cheese Shop (6, Flying Horse Walk), which has an excellent selection of British cheeses.
An art gallery whose façade is an icon.
CORNISH YARG
The country has seen great progress in terms of cheese in recent decades, as this industry went from being quite neglected and practically in a coma, to recovering and offering products highly appreciated by both British and international palates.
The Cornish Yarg points to that new batch of novelties what are they between the hard and the soft and which are known as “semi-soft”.
Invented by Alan Gray in the 1980s , It's made with Cow milk and it is very well distinguished because for its elaboration wraps itself in nettles , which gives it a crust with a very particular texture, as well as having a delicious citrus flavor.
Cornish Yarg cheese.
Cornwall It's one of the wilder counties from England. Located at the westernmost end of the island, the inclement weather has shaped the character of its inhabitants and the flavor of its traditional foods for centuries.
This western territory is the ideal destination to spend a few days touring fishing villages between rain and sun -St. Ives, Padstow, Mousehole and Port Isaac are good options - and enjoying the local cuisine.
The Lizard Peninsula it's a essential place and with its indomitable beauty it allows a better understanding of the nuances of this land. In addition, this peninsula is the perfect place to a cheese-focused picnic . Lynher Dairies makes a spectacular Cornish Yarg that is well worth a try.
Cornwall.
CHESHIRE
The origins of the Cheshire date back to the 11th century and the family Appleby It is one of the few that continues to make this traditional cheese in an artisanal way. In fact, he takes care of the production process from the pasture until the milk leaves his farm in the form of cheese.
They are very respectful of the ancestral production methods that make their cheese preserve all the flavor of tradition. They have three versions of classic cheshire , with its peculiar warm yellow colour, white and smoky.
The county of Cheshire, located in the industrial heart of England, is in an area that offers both some of the most beautiful natural scenery in the country thanks to the nearby Snowdonia and Peak District National Parks , such as the sophisticated urban environments of Liverpool and Manchester.
Lymm, in the county of Cheshire.
CABOC
The Scottish cheese tradition includes techniques that have known how to protect their celtic roots , and one of the greatest exponents of this way of doing is Caboc cheese.
Produced in the Hebrides and with a history dating back to medieval times, this cheese is believed to Mariota de Ile invented it , that, instead of making butter with the cream of the milk as was usual, she created this cheese letting the cream ferment in barrels.
The contemporary version is sold with the rind washed and battered in oatmeal and it is convenient to eat it in small amounts because it has a high fat content.
Hebrides Islands, Scotland.
The Stone family has been producing excellent cheeses since the fifties under the Highland Fine Cheese brand. They also make the Crowdie, another Scottish classic recovered of oblivion that is a tribute to simplicity well understood.
The dairy is located in the little town of Tain , less than an hour from Inverness, popularly known as the capital of the Highlands.
And there, one of the best places to taste the local gastronomy is Mustard Seed. The differentiating element of this space is that it is housed in an old church reconverted on the banks of the River Ness , and the menu is a nod to the culinary tradition of the Highlands, from herring and salmon even empanadas or steaks.
The peculiar Caboc cheese (Scotland).
perl wen
The poetic welsh valleys , of such an intense green that it is hard to believe, are the origin of Perl Wen cheese, which means White Pearl in welsh
With this copy we close our cheese route through the United Kingdom. It's about a soft cheese that may remind you of Brie cheese for its creaminess and smooth texture and that they make at the Caws Cenarth cheese factory, one of the most renowned in the country.
The Adamses carry cheese in their veins, as they belong to a cheese lineage -they are the sixth generation- and they specifically have been in business since 1987.
At Caws Cenarth Dairy.
His cheese factory is located in the southwest of the country, very close to the Cych River, less than an hour from National Park of Pembrokeshire , that with its coastal spirit and its dozens of paths It is the ideal destination for a weekend of nature and disconnection.
On the route that separates the cheese factory and the national park, it is worth make a stop to enjoy the fynone waterfall , a relatively unknown natural attraction of great beauty.
The beauty of Pembrokeshire National Park.