BCW 42 – ALPINE THEME – SEPTEMBER 2018
COURSES
- Herb Focaccia / Olives, Toasted Almonds, Grilled Peppers / Tete de Moine / Niklas Lagrien
- White roll / Apple chutney, Apple / Morbier / Martin and Anna Arndorfer Gruner Vetliner
- Walnut Bread / Toasted Walnuts, Nutty Butter / Gruyere & Etivaz / Gruber Roschitz Zweigelt (Wednesday), Tramin Blaugunder & Pinot Nero (Thursday)
- Malted Cob / Green Salad / Reblochon / Judith Beck Weissburgunder
- Teacake with Apricots and Currants / Plum / St Marcelin / Gentian de Lure & Dolin Genepi
BCW 40 – AWARD WINNERS THEME -AUGUST 2018
COURSES
1. Baton / Damson Cheese and Roast Peach / Yorkshire Pecorino / Durello Sparkling Spumante, Veneto, Italy (Wine Merchant Top 100)
2. Fig, Aniseed and Sesame Sourdough / Fresh Figs / Tunworth / Ch. Fesles Chenin Blanc Sec, France (IWC Silver medal 2016)
3. Light Rye / Local Heritage Tomato / Merry Wyfe / Pemo Montepulciano, Italy (IWC 2018 Commended)
4. Beetroot Bread / Beetroot Chutney / Old Winchester / Papa Giannakos Eythros, Greece (AWC Silver medal)
5. Longes de Chat / Pears poached with Chilli and Pepper / Harrogate Blue / De Bortoli Black Noble Muscat, Australia (Sydney Wine show Gold 2018/2017 & IWC Trophy winner)
CHEESE
Yorkshire Pecorino
This Yorkshire Pecorino Fresco (‘young Pecorino’) is only 30 days old, and like all classic Italian young cheeses is smooth, yogurty and sweet. It is made by Mario Olianas in Adel, near Leeds, West Yorkshire. Brought in up Sardinia, Mario Olianas comes from a strong family of Italian gastronomes and he started making cheese in a specially converted room within his house, following an adapted Pecorino recipe. He uses fresh sheep’s milk which he collects daily from just outside Harrogate, and cultures imported from Italy. This cheese is based on the classic Pecorino Fresco from Italy. Mario’s Yorkshire Pecorino is based on the fresco, young version of pecorino. Soft and yielding in texture it has a thin undulating rind and is aged for 30 days. Winner Great British Cheese Awards 2018.
Tunworth
Milk: Pasteurised Cow’s Milk Coagulant: Animal Rennet Milk Source: Bought in Milk Product Summary A Camembert-style cheese with a classically creamy and unctuous paste; flavours are vegetal, truffley and garlicky. Product Description Tunworth is made by Stacey Hedges and Charlotte Spruce in Hampshire and named after the nearby hamlet of Tunworth. The whole process is done by hand, from the cutting to the ladling; they will then be transferred to ripening rooms where they grow their mixed coats of wrinkly Geotrichum and delicate white Penicillium moulds. Super Gold British Cheese Awards 2018.
Merry Wyfe
An award-winning washed-rind cheese made with curds which are pressed and then washed in cider every other day for four weeks (hence the name ‘Merry’ Wyfe!). The cider is made from organic apples harvested on the farm. This cheese has a distinctive pungent orange (edible) rind and a rich, creamy paste. Only launched in May 2017, the “Merry Wyfe” has already won gold at three cheese awards: The World Cheese Awards, the Artisan Cheese Awards at Melton Mowbray and the Global Cheese Awards at Frome. It is an organic, pasteurised and vegetarian cheese. . Super Gold British Cheese Awards 2018.
Old Winchester
In the New Forest at Lyburn Farm, Mike and Judie Smales have created a modern British classic cheese – Old Winchester. As milk prices fell, Mike and Judie decided they needed an outlet for the milk from their 180 British Friesian cows. Deciding to make cheese, they went on a one-day Cheddar-making course. With this basic knowledge the Smales decided to make a Gouda-style (the curd is washed so the cheese ends up slightly more sweet): “When we started to make cheese twelve years ago, we deliberately chose not to make Cheddar for all the obvious reasons, not least there are already quite a lot of them. So we started with a Gouda-style recipe.” Yet it turned out a bit different from expected. But not every mistake is bad! Instead, the amazing Old Winchester was born: a cross between Gouda, Parmesan and Cheddar. This cheese is aged for 18-months to give it a sweet, tangy, crystallised depth. (It is also known as Old Smales).As well as a great ‘table cheese’ Old Winchester works incredibly well as a vegetarian Parmesan replacement as it is made without animal rennet, you will often find chefs using it for vegetarian dishes. Super Gold International Cheese Awards 2018.
Harrogate Blue
Harrogate Blue is matured for a minimum of 10 weeks which is the optimum time for the cheese to develop exactly the right depth of flavour and creaminess. A hit from day one, Harrogate Blue won its first award just two weeks after launch in 2012, and was the first cheese co-produced by Katy and Caroline (Judy Bell’s daughters) after taking over the running of the dairy. It’s since scooped two golds at the Global Cheese Awards and in 2017 it won a Super Gold and was judged to be the 11th best cheese in the world at the World Cheese Awards in London. Harrogate Blue is soft, luxuriously creamy and blue-veined, delivering a mellow blue flavour with a hint of pepper to finish. Super Gold International Cheese Awards 2018.
BCW 39 – JULY 2018 – SUMMER THEME
COURSES
- Bloomer Rolls / Young Lancashire / Fresh tomato and Cos lettuce / Grobe Riesling 1763
- Chive and Red Onion Scone / Gubbeen / Dijon Mustard / Sanziana Pinot Noir
- Baton / Gorgonzola Dolce / Roast Peach and Cherries / Petaluma Viognier
- Wholemeal / Young Lincolnshire Poacher / Apple, Celery salad and Walnut / Drouin Cidre
- Gooseberry Fool with Ginger Crumb and Kings Ginger Liqueur made from Stanage Edge Curd / Fernando de Castilla Vermut
CHEESE
Kirkham’s Lancashire
Made by Graham Kirkham, near Goosnargh, in Lancashire, Kirkham’s Lancashire is a classic British cheese. In the county of Lancashire, the cheeses are enjoyed at a variety of ages, evolving from buttery and creamy in their youth into powerful and savoury mature cheeses which can be aged for up to a year.
The Kirkham family has been farming and making cheese for three generations. What sets the Kirkham’s Lancashire apart is the quality of the milk and the long, slow make; the first step in the cheesemaking is an overnight pre-ripening of the milk, designed to get the native cheesemaking bacteria working and active. Graham uses only a tiny amount of starter culture and works the curds carefully to drain them at their own gentle pace over the course of many hours. The result is a cheese that tastes intensely of the milk that was used to make it, with an extraordinarily complex and long-lasting flavour.
Gubbeen
Made by Giana Ferguson near Schull in County Cork, Ireland, using pasteurised cow’s milk and animal rennet. Cheesemaker Giana grew up in Spain and France where she made cheese as a hobby. When she married Tom Ferguson, whose family had been farming in West Cork for generations, she was keen to put the herd’s milk to good use. This is a mild and gentle washed-rind cheese, with a savoury, milky flavour. We chose to include it this month as we find this batch incredibly moreish. The stalwarts of the local food community, both of Gianna and Tom’s children now work in the family business.
Gorgonzola Dolce
Marco Arrigoni makes one of the finest Gorgonzola Dolce available: rich, winey and luscious, with just a subtle hint of blue. He is the third generation of a family that has been farming only 12 miles from the town of Gorgonzola since 1920. Using milk from their own farm they now make a range of cheeses including Gorgonzola Dolce and Taleggio. Gorgonzola Dolce is a difficult cheese to make, as it is so soft and rich. The classic Italian cheese needs to be handled very gently and turned frequently during production to drain, before being aged for three months. This Gorgonzola is a ‘Dolce’-style (pronounced DOL-chay), specially selected by The Courtyard Dairy to be sweet, rich and winey, unlike the Gorgonzola ‘Piccante’-style which are firmer and spicier. (Dolce means sweet). Although the Dolce version is a more recent creation, Gorgonzola itself can be traced back as far as 879 when farmers moving their cows down the valley would stop at the village of Gorgonzola to rest and milk their cows. A cheese would then be made with this excess milk – Gorgonzola!
Lincolnshire Poacher
Made by brothers Simon and Tim Jones in Ulceby Grange in Lincolnshire.
Raw cow’s milk, animal rennet. This month sees the 100 year anniversary of the farm; Simon and Tim are the fourth generation to be running it. Land stewardship is of huge importance to the brothers, and the farm is run sustainably to get the best milk from their herd of 230 cows. The current batches Neal’s Yard are sending out are creamier and younger than usual. They taste smooth, rich and savoury.
Stanage Curd
Made at Cow Close Farm under Stanage Edge the curds are the first stage in the cheese making process once they have been separated from the whey. Sophie and James take some of these curds to use as a beautifully fresh cheese and make the rest into Stanage Millstones.
BCW 37 – MAY 2018 – AROUND THE WORLD THEME
COURSES
- Apricot and Hazelnut Bread / Soft Spanish Goats / El Supremo Torrontes (Argentina) / Fresh Apricot
- Sundried Tomato Bread / Swiss – Alpine / Renishaw Classic (England) / Roasted Tomatoes
- Oat Biscuits / Barnsley Brie / KWV Grenache Blanc (South Africa) / Roasted Peaches, Nectarines & Honey
- Courgette and Taleggio Focaccia / Buffalo Taleggio / Sagrado Tawny Port (Portugal) / Italian Meze
- Honey Cake / Barnsley Blue and Montagnolo / Stanley Noble Harvest Sauvignon (New Zealand)
BREAD CHEESE WINE
BCW 36 – APRIL 2018 – SPRING THEME
COURSES
- Sileni Albarino, New Zealand / Kirkhams Lancashire / Light Rye / Fennel and Cucumber Salad.
- Gerard Bertrand Gris Blanc, France / Applebys Cheshire / Malted Cob / Vine roasted tomatoes with herbs.
- New Hall Bacchus, England / Gruyere / Plain Sourdough / Mixed Peppers and Roasted Peppers
- Cloud Factory Pinot Noir, New Zealand / St. James / Pagnotta / Olives and Land Cress
- Blandys Madiera Duke of Clancy, Madiera / Beauvale / Pear Cake
CHEESE
Kirkham’s Lancashire
Third-generation Lancashire-maker Graham Kirkham still follows the traditional two-day curd method of making Lancashire cheese, giving a buttery, yoghurty flavour with a fluffy and light texture that melts in the mouth. Kirkham’s are the very last farmhouse producer of raw-milk Lancashire cheese.
Appleby’s Cheshire
The Appleby family have been farming at Hawkstone Abbey Farm, North Shropshire since 1942, when Lance and Lucy Appleby bought the farm. Lucy began making Cheshire cheese in 1952. It survived as a traditional clothbound Cheshire and is generally sold at around four months old. Cheshire is a traditional Northern crumbly cheese that is clean and zesty on the tongue followed by a rich mouth watering finish, which you can enjoy in your mouth long after you have tasted the cheese.
Gruyere
The Affineur Walo Le Gruyère AOC Extra Mature cheese is sweet, and the flavour is perfectly balanced. It grows and fills the mouth.There are the floral, fruity notes, but it is the silky texture with the crunchy crystals and immense flavour that set this cheese apart from other Gruyères. The Affineur Walo Le Gruyère AOC Extra Mature is matured for a minimum of 14 months in the caves that have been used by the Von Mühlenen family for decades. The caves are warmer than others used to mature cheese. This ‘warm’ aging is key to achieving a deeper, more rounded flavour. During the maturation, the cheese crystallises to deliver an intense flavour.
St James
Still seasonal, St James cheese comes into its own after lambing, when the milk flows. St James is made using the milk from their 100 Lacaune sheep. The cheese is a washed-rind cheese which involves washing the rind of the cheese to develop.
Beauvale
Beauvale takes its name from the Vale of Belvoir which surrounds the Cropwell Bishop Dairy. Cropwell Bishop is a family company that has been making Stilton for generations. It is hand-ladled into wider, more shallow moulds than are used for Stilton; and the cultures that are used to develop the blue are much milder strains than those used in Stilton. Instead of rubbing up the outside to create the characteristic rind of a Stilton, the cheese-makers leave the cheeses to develop naturally a thin crust.
The resulting cheese is sweet and creamy, with a buttery texture and a slight, salty tang to the finish.
WINE
BCW35 – APRIL 2018 – LOCAL HEROS
COURSES
- Baton / Dorstone Goats / Grapes and Onion Crumb / Locksley Gin and Pink Grapefruit Tonic
- Linseed Sourdough / Stanage Curd / Sheffield Honey / The Den Chenin Blanc, SA
- Yorkshire Square / Little Mester / Walfdorf Salad / Renishaw Hall Sparkling Wine
- Malted Cob / Linconshire Poacher / Carrot and Coriander Chutney / Gayda En Passant
- Sour Cherry Biscuit / Cotehill Blue / Brew Foundation Janet’s Treat Porter / Cherry Brandy
CHEESE
Dorstone
Dorstone is made by Charlie Westhead and his team at Neal’s Yard Creamery in Dorstone, Herefordshire, from the milk of a mixed herd of British Alpine and Toggenburg goats. The cheese’s distinctive fluffy texture is a result of the curds being “pre-drained,” a technique in which the yoghurt-like curds are ladled onto mats to drain before being mixed with salt and patted into moulds. As a result, the curds are less dense and open-textured. Dorstone can be eaten within a week or so of production, or aged for a month or more.
Little Mester
Little Mester is a small, surface-ripened soft cheese, made with milk from the Our Cow Molly herd, which grazes just a few miles from Kelham Island at Dungworth. It is made by Sophie Williamson under the name of Sheffield Cheesemasters,
Stanage Millstone Curd
Stanage Millstone is a creamy, bloomy rind cheese made by hand in small batches at Cow Close Farm, using milk from a neighbouring herd of Hathersage cows. The curd used this evening is made at the start of the process when the curds are separated from the whey.
The trick is using fantastic quality milk sourced from a single herd of robotically milked cows on a neighbouring farm. The robotic milking means that the cows are happier as they can pick and choose when they are milked. The curd is made from whole pasteurised cow’s milk, vegetarian rennet and salt.
Lincolnshire Poacher
Brothers Simon and Tim Jones oversee the production of Lincolnshire Poacher on their family farm, Ulceby Grange in Lincolnshire. The farm has been in the family since 1917. The first batch of cheese was made there in 1992. Lincolnshire Poacher is often described as a cross between Cheddar and mountain cheese. The brothers are passionate about land stewardship. They farm sustainably to get the best milk from their closed herd. They create their own energy from wind, sun, heat exchange, and a straw pellet boiler. Cheesemaker Richard Tagg will turn about 6000 litres of milk into roughly 28 to 30 wheels of cheese, which are matured by an experienced and dedicated team in the farm’s immaculate storerooms. Neal’s Yard typically select cheeses when they are between 12 and 18 months old, and sell them between 18 and 24 months old.
Cote Hill Blue
Mary and Michael Davenport are small tenancy farmers of Cote Hill Farm in Lincolnshire, with only 63 cows’ (including some of the unusual Red Poll breed which has a rich milk). With the price of wholesale milk falling, the Davenports knew they would have to add value to their milk or give up dairy farming. So in 2005 they went on a short cheese-making course and decided to have a go at it. They noticed there was a gap in the market for a soft unpasteurised blue cheese, so they went to great lengths to develop what is recognised as a notoriously hard cheese to make (there was a reason for the gap in the market!). Cote Hill Blue was the outcome – a soft, rich blue given a distinctive and unusual taste by the quality of their unpasteurised milk.
