Oh look! Another cheese post! Today I'm talking about a cheese that I've never had the fortune of trying, much less had the pleasure of finding at the local Woolworths. It is part of the Woolworths Gold range, a range of artisan and gourmet food. I'm not complaining, because it sounds like the cheese is the real deal, hailing all the way from Leicestershire, England. In Leicestershire, there is a small town named Long Clawson, and that is where one would find the Long Clawson Dairy, the award winning producer of 60 varieties of cheese.
But I digress, because I have no solid evidence that this Shropshire Blue is even made by the Long Clawson Dairy. I haven't been able to find irrefutable proof online, so this is all guesswork based on the locality listed on the packaging of the cheese, the use of annato (some producers of Shropshire use carotene as a colourant), and the existing producers of Shropshire cheese in the UK.
This good sized chunk is 225g, and costs $10.86 at Woolworths. A little pricey, sure, but this is such a large wedge that you could easily serve it on at least three platters. That said, I'm the only turophile in this house, so it's going to take me some time to finish this chunk before it goes off. I'm a little worried that my diet will be all for naught and I've been such a good girl!
So, this is a really nice cheese, excellent for an English cheese platter, or for parties where you invite people of various tastes. It's not a very strong blue, so it's actually quite nice for many occasions. It's crumbly, with a semi-soft flesh. Despite it not being a very strong blue, it's still sharp, with the right amount of tang to really get your attention and make you obsessed.
I wish I had some Riesling to enjoy with this cheese, but alas, I drank my last glass the night before I received the Shropshire. Other great accompaniments with this cheese include sliced apple, grapes, and crusty bread. It is said that one of the best accompaniments with this cheese is a simple cup of tea, and I ought to say, it actually works like a dream.
Would I buy this again? Definitely. What I wouldn't give to have an entire wheel of this cheese!
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