Yoredale Blue – 250g

Description

Ben and Sam Spence, based in the town of Wensley in Wensleydale, England, have revitalized a classic with their creation: Yoredale Blue. This cheese is a modern interpretation of traditional blue Wensleydale, made by hand using age-old methods. The process starts with the cheese being bound in cloth according to the traditional Wensleydale recipe, then aged and pierced to develop distinctive blue veins. This method transforms the tart freshness typical of Wensleydale into a cheese with a soft texture and a smooth, mellow spicy-blue taste.

The Spence family has a rich history of farming in the Yorkshire Dales dating back to 1953, starting with just 20 Dairy Shorthorn cows. Three generations later, Ben, along with his wife Sam, returned to their roots in traditional cheesemaking after learning the craft at The Courtyard Dairy. Their initial venture in 2019 was a traditional Wensleydale, dubbed Yoredale—the historic name for Wensleydale—which they crafted to be slower and gentler than its modern industrial counterparts.

Their exploration into historical recipes and cheese lore revealed numerous references to a ‘Wensleydale Blue’, a highly esteemed cheese in its time. Inspired by these traditional styles, the Spences decided to craft a modern version of this blue cheese without relying on the inconsistent natural moulding of the past. They introduce carefully selected blue spores and employ a specific piercing technique at three, four, and five weeks to encourage the growth of the blue mould. After these initial stages, the cheese undergoes an additional two weeks of maturation, resulting in a total of three months of aging, which allows the blue mould to soften the cheese’s texture and enhance its flavour.