FRESH, NOT FROZEN
DELIVERY FREE OVER £50
PICK DELIVERY DATE AT CHECKOUT
FROM LOCAL FARMS
FRESH, NOT FROZEN
DELIVERY FREE OVER £50
PICK DELIVERY DATE AT CHECKOUT
FROM LOCAL FARMS
An outstanding, recent, raw-milk blue cheese from Northern Ireland. An interesting take on an ancient blue cheese recipe, Young Buck cheese is traditionally-made and hand-ladled to produce a rich, lingering flavour.
An impressive debut cheese.
Made by Michael Thomson of Mike’s Fancy Cheese Co. at Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland.
£9.50
Out of stock
Ingredients: Milk, salt, cheese cultures and rennet.
The genius behind Young Buck Cheese is Michael Thomson. One of a new generation of cheese-makers, he studied cheese-making at the School of Artisan Food (a fellow student of Andy, managing partner of The Courtyard Dairy). Whilst studying, he went on placements at Stichelton and Montgomery’s. After graduation, he joined Sparkenhoe Farm as a cheese-maker, responsible for their Red Leicester and developing their unpasteurised Battlefield Blue.
However Mike’s ambition was always to return to Northern Ireland to make raw (unpasteurised milk) cheese. Struggling to find funding through standard methods, Mike eventually managed to obtain the necessary capital by using an online ‘crowd-funding’ site, with over 100 investors.
Naming the business ‘Mike’s Fancy Cheese Co.’ (taken from a quote from James Long’s 1896 cheese-making book, describing one man as a producer of ‘fancy cheese’), the development of his cheese-making facility took place in late 2013. Sourcing milk from a small farm ten miles away (140 milking cattle), Mike daily collects 600 litres of milk, returning to his vat to make 27 Young Bucks each week (compare that with Stichelton, who make around 30 wheels a day, and Colston Bassett, one of the smallest Stilton dairies, at 155 a day).
Young Buck is based on an old text on Stilton that Mike found. Different from modern-day Stilton, it is made outside the region with unpasteurised milk, a slow-gentle acidification of the curd and hand-ladling, but it retains some similarities – rubbing up, hastening (to encourage a ruby-red yeast rind) and piercing late to encourage blueing. It is then aged for 12-15 weeks before being split and sold by The Courtyard Dairy only at its peak.
When fully mature it is rich, creamy and rounded with a long-lingering finish and just a touch of Northern Ireland.
Susan Redmond (verified owner) –
Tried a different blue this time and loved it.
Ian Baker (verified owner) –
Johanna Potter (verified owner) –
Johanna Potter (verified owner) –
Julie Blaney (verified owner) –
Torsten Moeller (verified owner) –
Paul Beckwith (verified owner) –
This is a really nice blue cheese. Creamy and not too strong, but still great tasting.
Jo Clark (verified owner) –
David Halse (verified owner) –
It’s excellent, but then I equally like a Colston. I couldn’t choose between the two if I was asked, but this is still excellent
Martin Wedgwood (verified owner) –
not too strong so suits me
Jacqui Simpson (verified owner) –
Ashley Tennant (verified owner) –
Without doubt the best blue cheese I have ever had
Dave Tart (verified owner) –
Susanna Fox (verified owner) –
Tasty fresh and not too heavy. Delicious as cheese and biscuits.
Sarah Dibb-Fuller (verified owner) –
Delicious cheese!