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| Good cheese naturally starts with good milk. The milk is the product of the dairy animal and its diet, so looking after the dairy herd and ensuring that the land upon which it grazes is healthy with good abundance of different vegetation is essential. An animal with a good varied diet is a healthier animal. As grapes of mature vines will produce the fullest wine, permanent pasture with its varied herbage and grasses will produce the best milk. Such an analogy withstands consideration - wine and cheese are both the fermented product of soil and plant and the finest examples of each are the unblended products of a single vineyard or farm.
Having nurtured beast and pasture, it is up to the skill and expertise of the cheesemaker to turn the good milk into raw cheese. This is no easy task. The cheesemaker has to work with such raw materials that will vary, often from season to season and control organisms used to sour the milk and give it its distinctive flavour. For traditional cheesemakers such as ours, the benefits of science should assist, not determine cheese making rituals that have worked successfully for centuries. |
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| The last care of the cheesemaker is the formation of the skin or crust, or its binding in cloth to protect the cheese in the months or years of ripening. This is followed by regular turning in the correct atmospheric conditions until the cheese is solid.
This is where we come in. It is our job to select the best cheeses and ripen them to table worthiness. We are aware that the final satisfaction of the customer depends not only on the skill of the cheesemaker, but our treatment of the cheese. It is only with knowledge, enthusiasm and education of our staff that we are able to achieve this.
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| Real farmhouse cheese is usually made with milk from the cheesemakers own herd. The self sufficient cheesemaker, assured of the high quality of their own raw materials is given a head start over larger creameries who will blend the milk of several different herds and then pasteurise it to bland uniformity.
The independent traditional cheesemaker exercises an autonomy over the cheesemaking process that would be impossible in factory conditions. Whenever in cheesemaking the science and judgement of the cheesemaker are at variance, they will always rely on their judgement. Working with smaller quantities, the cheesemaker has more time to follow traditional methods and consequently there is no pressure to cut corners. Farmhouse cheesemaking is rarely easy. It is informed and motivated by dedication to the characteristic excellent of a given cheese.
Good cheese has suffered in recent years, it will only be raised back to the health by a vocational attitude in those who wish to put things right and make their living doing so. We work to bring you the best farmhouse cheese possible.
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Caerphilly – Tretowan
This traditional Welsh Caerphilly is one of our favourites. A thick, crumbly ring and a texture to match, this cheese is perfect for eating by the chunk.
Carola
A soft delicate texture and a thin pliable rind distinguish this promising new organic cheese from Moray.
Celtic Primrose
Strongly flavoured and very smelly. This is a washed rind cheese available in two sizes - a cutting cheese and a smaller round approximately one pound in weight.
Cheshire
Appleby's is the only Cheshire sill made with natural, un-waxed, cloth rind and un-pasteurised milk. It is crumbly and tangy and embodies traditional cheesemaking. Also available as a three pound individual cheese.
Coolea
This Irish Gouda-style cheese is a hard, yellow cheese that improves with age. At five months it is mild and mellow, but by two years whey drops from the air holds when cut and it develops a fabulous tangy flavour.
Criffel
Smooth textures and a tangy, floral taste distinguish this organic, Scottish cheese, hard to come by and worth trying when you do.
Cuddy's Cave
Semi-soft with a rind to match. The recipe to this fantastic lemony cheese is kept a closely guarded secret by it's maker.
Desmond
Strong, piquant with an after-taste that never leaves, this surprising Irish cheese is fantastic in sauces and foudues.
Dunlop
A traditional cloth-bound Scottish cheese, still made in the old ways and matured for around nine months to create a nutty flavour and moist texture.
Gabriel
Similar to Desmond, this Irish cheese retains the knock-out flavour but tones down the after-taste making is suitable for cheese boards as well as cooking.
Gubbeen
This elegant semi-soft cheese has a simple unassuming taste and a delicate pinkish rind. We sell these as small, whole cheeses over Christmas.
Gubbeen - Smoked
A smoked version of the Irish favourite, this cheese is lightly smoked allowing the unique Gubbeen flavour to flow through.
Isle of Mull
This cheese is a perennial favourite with our customers. A cheddar by definition, however, paler in colour, softer in texture and sharper in flavour then the traditional English cheese. Available cut from the fifty pound truckle or as individual one or two pound cheeses.
Keen's Cheddar
One of the great English cheeses, this Cheddar shouldn't be touched for at least 12 months and ideally a few months longer. Its strong earthy taste and rich yellow colour help make is one of the most popular cheeses we sell. The baby cheese, weighing around three and a half pounds is slightly drier, though just as tasty.
Lancashire
Bought into our cellars at a young age and matured to around 6 months. Mrs Kirham's cheese is world famous and deservedly so. It has a sharp flavour and snow-white flesh - occasional blue-ing only adds to the flavour. The three pounds baby Lancashire is rich and buttery and is sold at the ripe old age of three months during December and January.
Lancashire - Smoked
The smoking of this cheese is very strong, however, the strength of the cheese itself means the original flavour comes through. The size of the Kirkham dairy means you'll find it hard to get this cheese anywhere else.
Loch Arthur
A young organic Scottish cheddar, milder than the English styles but tasty nonetheless. The cheesemaker dislikes the process of adhering the cloth to the cheese with lard so followed the old method of 'scalding', making it hard to de-cloth but nutty to taste. He produces a miniature version for the Christmas market which is slightly drier but more intense in flavour.
Montgomery's Cheddar
Another fantastic cheddar that tastes better and better with age. It's spicy, green acidity and long savour finish are satisfyingly different.
Staffordshire Organic with Wild Garlic
We are not keen on additives in cheese, however in this case, wild garlic adds a wonderful flavour to the creamy texture. The intense 'garlicky' aroma fills the nose delightfully and moistens the tastebuds in anticipation.
Sweet Milk
Made to a Dunlop recipe from organic Ayrshire milk. Smooth and nutty with a hint of lemon.
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Bonnet
Naturally rinded with a hard, snow-white flesh, this Scottish cheese is relatively mild and eaten between four and six months.
Ticklemore
This crumbly cheese is matured for around two and a half months, during which time it developed a brown rind, speckled with dry white mould. It is a mild, pleasant cheese that appeals to most palates.
Wessex Goat
Matured in our cellars for several months, Wessex is smooth and rich with a goaty kick.
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Berkswell
A hard cheese, eaten at around eight months. Reminiscent of Percorino, but sweeter and more moist. It is equally good with pasta or on it's own.
Cairnsmore
Matured to around ten months, this is a dry, hard cheese with a definate nutty taste. One of out most popular Scottish cheeses.
Cratloe Hills Gold
An Irish cheese with a mellow but tangy flavour and a fudge texture. Good for both cheeseboards and cooking.
Spenwood
This naturally-rinded cheese is mature at three months. It has a rich, nutty taste and a slightly flakey texture. Kept longer, it will harden and become more piquant. The baby Spenwood, matured for a December sale, makes a unique and lovely gift.
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Ardrahan
Semi-soft with a washed rind, this Irish cheese has a warm, powerful taste and a lasting finish. Suprisingly good to cook with, it is available in a mini version over the Christmas period.
Bishop Kennedy
This Scottish cheese starts off life as a brie, but when washed in a whisky solution, it takes on a flavour of it's own. Strong and sticky, with a runny daisy-yellow centre.
Cooleeney
Seaweed, mushrooms and farmyards. The Irish Cooleeney, with it's snow-white rind and soft flesh is reminiscent of all three. Available as a mini cheese as well as by the kilogram, it's one of our favourite soft cheeses.
Durrus
This luxurious Irish wash-rind cheese has a semi-soft, fudgy texture full of hidden secrets -sweet apples and pears, chocolate and strawberries.
Finn
Rich in the extreme, this individual cheese is made from a triple-cream recipe that will slide down your throat and leave you begging for more.
Milleens
This award winning Irish cheese can be temperamental, sometimes hard, sometimes very soft, sometimes very strong, but definitely never boring. It's woody, farmyard aroma and deep vegetal tastes will make it a rewarding challenge to any palate. The baby maintains all the Milleens characteristics.
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Wigmore
This cheese has a rich, creamy flavour you will relish turning on your tongues, while the texture melts on the mouth with a chewy natural rind. Restraint is not easy with this delicious and luxurious cheese and the mini version, only available during December is no exception.
Flower Marie
A consistent favourite, this attractive, pale square of runny, rich flesh is perfect for a cheeseboard.
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Chabis
These individual cheeses are mild and delicious. They are the perfect size for a cheeseboard and are surprisingly good for cooking, their flavour increasing as they melt.
Crotton
An organic, Scottish version of the French classic, this cheese is dry and flakey - perfect for grilling and toasting.
Golden Cross
This cheese is made using the same curd as Chabis with a very different result. The fresh log is rolled in vegetable ash and covered in a white mould, creating a spectacular addition to any cheeseboard and a flavoursome ingredient to any dish.
Mine Gabher
This soft ball of rinded Irish goat's cheese is extremely seasonal but well worth the wait. Sweet flavours ooze out of the pale flesh to overwhelm the senses.
Ragstone
Another goat's log with lemony flavours, a soft but firm rind and a creamy centre that runs around the edges. Available in five hundred gram sizes or smaller two hundred gram log.
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Blue Stilton
Stilton is one of the greatest cheeses in the world and we think Colston Bassett's is one of the best. Soft and creamy with green-blue veins, this cheese is worlds away from the so-called 'Stiltons' so widely available today. The six pound 'babies' are on the large size, but we feel that this is the smallest they can be made without comprising on quality and taste.
Cashel Blue
We mature this Irish blue to at least five months of age, when it has developed a sharp, full flavour and an intricate network of blue-ing. It is extremely soft and creamy and so needs to be kept in the fridge at below five degrees celsius, any warmer and the cheese can tend to run. A good cheese for 'blue beginners'
Shropshire Blue
This style of coloured, blue cheese originated only twenty years ago in Inverness, but has become a firm favourite among lovers of mellow, earthy blues.
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Harbourne Blue
This is a seasonal cheese, made in the spring and summer and available in autumn and winter. This is a shame, as it's intensely flavoured blue-ing and subtle goaty tang make it a fine companion for a rich port and a welcome addition to a strong cheeseboard at any time of the year.
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Beenleigh Blue
A firm but creamy cheese with a slightly sweet flavour and a blue-ing that highlights rather than overpowers it's flavours.
Lanark Blue
Lanark Blue has been called the Scottish equivalent of Roquefort, though you will find that is has little of the creamy texture and salty tang of the French cheese, instead showing it's own unique softness and flavour.
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| Many our cheeses are seasonal and may not be available all year round. We are happy to advise you on which cheeses are at their best and when.
Delivery is made on a Monday to Friday, next day basis wherever possible.
A delivery charge of £3.00 per delivery is applicable to orders under £20.00 in the Edinburgh and Glasgow regions.
A delivery charge of £3.00 per delivery is applicable to orders under £45.00 outside the St Andrews, Perth and East Lothian regions.
A delivery charge of £6.50 per delivery is applicable to orders under £80.00 sent via couriers on the British mainland.
All prices are deemed correct at the time of printing. We reserve the right to alter prices as required.
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