Hard - Great Britain
Sold to the nearby farm in 1984, the cheese was then made by the Horrell family; and it became one of the earliest examples of the new-style British artisan cheese production.
Catherine Mead joined the team in the 1990s; and continuing growth led, in the early 2000s, to production being moved to a purpose-built dairy.
The cheese is loosely based on a Caerphilly recipe, and it is wrapped in stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) that are completely edible. The nettles are hand-picked from the local Cornish countryside when they are a bright, vibrant green, and frozen for use throughout the year. A team of nettlers applies the leaves in elegant concentric circles, once the cheeses have been removed from their moulds and brined ready for maturation. The leaves protect the cheese, while allowing it to breathe and attract the specific moulds that encourage the beautiful almost lace-like appearance of the rind to develop. This in turn begins to break down the interior of the cheese, although the texture remains gently crumbly in nature.
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We select and mature traditionally-made artisan cheeses from independent producers who prioritise quality over profit.
For over thirty years we have nurtured and supported the cream of British cheesemakers, and we played an integral role in the revival of traditional British cheesemaking in the early 1990s.
We produce our own range of Partners for Cheese, and our cheese and partners are supplied to hundreds of UK retailers and exported to over 50 countries world-wide.
We were founded in 1990 by Ann-Marie Dyas, a renowned judge at both the British and World Cheese Awards and winner of the Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement Award. Ann-Marie was committed to the survival and growth of traditional cheesemaking and to introducing and sharing farmhouse cheeses, as well as the stories behind them, to as wide a public as possible.
Ann-Marie's mission was "To seek out the best, and, when it’s been found, to keep looking". This same tireless pursuit of excellence is the core value across the company.
From the producers we choose to work with to the coffee we serve in our café, we want to give the best possible experience, while continuing to find ways to improve upon it.
If you order with us before noon, Monday to Friday, we are able to arrange for your parcel to arrive on the following day (except to certain postcodes in Scotland).
We have a calendar feature on our checkout page that enables you to select a delivery date of your choosing.
Our mail-order department is not available at the weekends, but our shops are open. Please see our shop page for further information.
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