Hand-Selected Westcombe Cheddar

A truly artisan cheddar from Somerset with a deep and complex flavour. Cheese has been made at Westcombe since the 1890s and they now remain as one of the last three traditional producers of Somerset Cheddar. They have the status of PDO but the Calvers are one of the last three families, along with Jamie Montgomery and the Trethowans, to make traditional Artisan Somerset Cheddar.

The criteria for this is much stricter than that for West Country Farmhouse Cheddar, and includes using raw milk from their own herd, pint starters rather than the more widely used powdered versions, and animal rennet. The cheese must never be made in a block form, and must be cloth-bound before being matured for at least one year.

The Calver family farm two farms with 400 cows and make unpasteurised Cheddar daily, using methods passed down over many generations. Tom Calver is the most recent generation working in the dairy. Under his guidance the cheese has gone from strength to strength as he has adjusted the recipe and refined the maturing. At the same time his father, Richard, has worked on improving the quality of the cows feed to get a better fat and protein content.

Winner of Best PDO Cheese and Best Cheddar at the 2017 British Cheese Awards

WHAT MAKES THIS CHEDDAR SPECIAL?

Westcombe Hand-Selected is exactly that. Ruth Raskin and Ben Hildreth, Quality Managers at The Fine Cheese Co. regularly meet with Tom Calver and hand select Cheddars at 9 months old.

These will be the very best cheeses from that month’s production. They are set aside for The Fine Cheese Co., and only released for sale when Tom and Ben judge they are at their peak (any time from 14/15 months - up to 18 months).

This is Slow Food with real meaning.

*This is a hand-made, artisan cheese, which may contain naturally occurring blue veins. These are normal and intrinsic to the nature of this type of cheese and add to its character. We think they taste good too!

 *A whole Westcombe Cheddar Hand-Selected weighs approximately 24kg. Smaller weights are a cut of a whole cheese.