Sparkenhoe Red Leicester
Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Company is located in Upton, a small hamlet in the South West Leicestershire countryside on a working dairy farm called Sparkenhoe Farm. Each day, fresh raw milk is pumped directly into the cheese-making vats and used to create this delicious farmhouse version of a British classic.
Sparkenhoe Red Leicester has a nutty, mellow flavour with a slightly savoury finish. It is cloth-bound and matured for 6 months on beech shelves, which helps create the open, flaky texture and imparts a subtle earthy hint close to the rind.
Region: Leicestershire, UK
Milk: Raw Cow
Size: Approx 250g wedge cut to order
Westcombe Cheddar
Westcombe Cheddar is a traditional, handcrafted, raw milk clothbound cheddar and one of only three cheeses classed as ‘Artisan Somerset Cheddar’ by Slow Food UK.
The cheese-maker’s philosophy is not to force the development of certain flavours, but rather to let the fresh, raw milk from their farm express its natural characteristics. This cheddar is known locally as a ‘five mile cheddar’, as you’re still tasting it five miles down the road! The flavour is full and confident with notes of beef broth, a mellow lactic tang and hints of caramel and citrus on the long-lasting end palate.
- Country -England
- Region – Somerset
- Type of Milk – Raw Cow
- Rennet – Animal Rennet
- Cut fresh to order approx. 250g
Caciocavallo Casizolu Slow Food Presidio (Sardo)
Despite being known as a land of sheep and sheep’s cheese, the Montiferru area, an enchanting corner of Sardinia a few kilometers from Oristano, is also home to an ancient, highly prized, stretched-curd cow’s milk cheese. In the past it was traditionally made by women, who processed the fresh milk, working the curds in hot water to form the cheese’s typical rounded pear shape. When the cheese is aged for longer than a couple of months, it starts to unite green, grassy, buttermilk notes with hints of forest and leaves and a slightly almondy finish.
Region: Sardinia, Italy
Milk: Cow
Size: approx 250g wedge cut to order
Piacentinu Ennese DOP Slow Food Presidio
This delicious sheep’s milk cheese has been enriched with the addition of saffron and whole peppercorns, creating a warm golden colour and unique taste. The rich flavour of salted butter is highlighted with the gentle aromatic notes of saffron and a mild peppery bite to finish. This cheese is typically made in the hinterland around the region of Enna. It is thought the name is a variation on the Italian greeting ‘Piacere’ (pleased to meet you / or verb ‘to like / appeal’). Piacentinu makes a stunning addition to any cheese plate – serve with fig or pear jam or our La Nicchia Zibibbo syrup (also from Sicily). It can also be shaved and added to salads and panini / sandwiches. It works well with most medium to full-bodied white and red wines, especially southern Italian varietals such as Primitivo, Nero d’Avola and Cataratto Bianco.
Region: Sicilia, Italy
Milk: Unpasteurised Sheep
Size: Approx 250g wedge, cut to order
Bussu Fiore Sardo DOP Organic Presidio Slow Food
A rustic organic smoked pecorino made by the shepards from the island of Sardinia in Southern Italy. It has a subtle, smoky, rustic flavour and round grassy, slightly sheepy notes to finish. During maturation the texture becomes firm and slightly crumbly. A member of the Slow Food Presidio. Ideal to serve with antipasti platters, or on a cheese board with our Brezzo Chestnut Honey.
Region: Sardinia, Italy
Milk: Sheep
Size: approx 250g wedge, cut to order
Trentigrana di Montagna DOP (Mountain Pastures Grana Padano Dop)
Trentingrana is a grana cheese (the same family as Reggiano), made exclusively with milk from pasture-fed cows in the alpine Trentino region. In recognition of the artisan production methods and specific geographical area, Trentingrana is protected with a DOP. It is made in the same way as Parmigiano Reggiano – 100% natural, with only salt and rennet added to raw milk. The cheese is matured for at least 20 months and each wheel is carefully inspected prior to being stamped with the Trentingrana DOP symbol. It is slightly sweeter and creamer than Reggiano, with a characteristic fruity bite to finish. Use as you would Reggiano – for cooking, grated, shaved into salads or serve on antipasti platters
Region:Trentino- Alto Adige, Italy
Milk: Pasteurised Cow
Size: approx 250g wedge
Monte Veronese di Malga DOP Slow Food Presidio
The mountains around Verona, the Monti Lessini, are particularly well suited to pasturing cows, with gentle grassy slopes and a long growing period. The local cheeses are almost always made using milk that has already been skimmed for butter production. The term “Monte” in the name probably refers to the production technique, which involves the processing of milk from multiple milkings (monte in dialect). Mountain Pasture Monte Veronese, which is suited for aging, is made in Alpine dairies (malghe) with milk from grazing cows, while typical Monte Veronese can be made with the milk of cows living indoors at lower elevations.
The Monte Veronese di Malga DOP is aged for at least 10 months before we get it. The cheese is made using raw milk from cows that have been feeding on the lush pastures of the mountainous Lessinia region. This cheese is also part of Slow Food Presidia, which has a focus on preserving traditional foods around the world. The cheese has notes of tropical fruit, hay and a subtle sweetness that is at once nutty and fruity. Cheese made from mountain-pasture milk is often not properly valued. Several decades ago, there were over 100 mountain pastures in the Lessini mountains, but they have now been transformed into holiday homes or are used for grazing beef cattle. The milk produced by cows grazing in the mountain pastures is often mixed with milk from cows kept indoors. The Presidium unites a few dairies that have decided to separate the milk produced in the Lessini pastures and to make Malga Monte Veronese, to promote its quality.
Region: Veneto, Italy
Milk: Unpasteurised Cow
Size: approx 250g wedge cut to order
Montgomery’s Cheddar
Not your usual tangy earthy english cheddar it has a deeper more complex flavour from meaty, brothy and savoury to sweet and fruity. The paste is crumbly and firm with a drier texture and more complexity with an incredible buttery texture on the palate. The flavour of Montgomery’s Cheddar can vary tremendously. One of the principal reasons for this is that the starter culture is changed every day over the course of a week, with the consequence that each day has its own character.
Region: Somerset,England
Milk: Raw Cow’s Milk
Size: Approx 250g wedge, cut to order
Vacherin Fribourgeois Alpage Slow Food Presidio
Made on the Alps plateau of the Canton of Fribourg, only in the summer months, this cheese is perfect to use in the Fondue dish. Made from a traditional recipe it has a supple texture with a nice creamy finish. *
Region: Fribourg, Switzerland
Milk: Unpasteurised Cow
Size: approx 250g wedge cut to order
* Warning: This is an extremely smelly cheese!
Sbrinz Alpage Aop Slow Food Presidio
Although not as famous as other Swiss cheeses, Sbrinz has been made for centuries in central Switzerland. It’s a mature cheese with a hard texture and complex round flavour – slightly bitey with a rich, savoury finish and hints of tropical fruits and toasted nuts. Serve on cheese platters and pair with Champagne, fruity white wines, Merlot or craft beer.
Region: Central Switzerland
Milk: Unpasteurised Cow
Size: approx 250g wedge cut to order
Bagoss di Bagolino Slow Food Presidio
This rare, artisan cheese is made with raw milk from Bruna Alpina cows and has been carefully matured for 36 months. The flavour is complex and unique: subtly savoury and grassy with rich hints of soy sauce, pepper, vegemite and mountain herbs – one for all the strong cheese lovers out there.
Region: Lombardy, Italy
Milk: Unpasteurised Cow
Size: approx 250g wedge cut to order
Caciocavallo Podolico Slow Food Presidio
Caciocavallo is a unique style of cheese commonly found throughout southern Italy. It is always made in a pear shape, then twisted into a knot at the top and tied together in pairs. This particular caciocavallo is made with the milk from Podolico cows – a rare breed of native cow that produces very high quality milk in very low quantities which gives the cheese an amazing aromatic complexity that lingers on the palate. The flavour is full and piccante with a pronounced bite. This cheese is a member of the Slow Food Presidium.
Region: Basilicata, Italy
Milk: Unpasteurised Cow
Size: approx 250g wedge cut to order