cheesewire
Unsung
heroes
Hidden gems from
British producers
news & views from the cheese counter
‘Creator’ up in arms at rivals’
mega Lancashire Bomb deal
PENDRAGON
In a nutshell: The Somerset
Cheese Co is known for its Pennard
Ridge and Vale goats’ cheeses, as
well as Fosseway Fleece sheep’s
cheese, but it also makes an
unusual hard buffalo’s milk cheese
called Pendragon. Because of milk
supply problems, the cheese was
out of production during 2014,
but after finding a new supplier in
Aberystwyth, Pendragon is back
with a new recipe. Made with
pasteurised milk, the Caerphillystyle cheese is matured for 4-8
months and comes in 2kg or 3.5kg
rounds.
Flavour and texture: The
cheese used to be made to a
cheddar recipe, but now has more
in common with Caerphilly. It is a
softer, more open texture, which
enhances the creaminess of the
milk, and has earthy and savoury
notes with a long salty finish.
History: The Somerset Cheese
Company was founded by
long-term friends Philip Rainbow
and Nicholas and Anita Robinson
in 2005. Rainbow has been
a cheese-maker for more than
40 years. Anita Robinson was once
one of his assistants.
Cheese care: Store and cut it in
the same as any hard cheese.
Why stock it? Hard buffalo milk
cheeses are a rarity in this country
and Pendragon would make
an interesting counterpoint to
traditional cows’ milk cheddars and
Caerphillys.
Perfect partners: Supplier
Paxton & Whitfield recommends
a bold, spicy red wine, such as a
Malbec.
Where to buy: Paxton &
Whitfield, Longmans or Hawkridge.
FFD features a
different ‘unsung
hero’ from Specialist
Cheesemakers’
Association members
each month. To get involved, contact:
[email protected]
JJ Sandham’s Lancashire Bombs will be part of a deal to export 70,000
cheeses to America but Shorrocks Cheese (inset) claims to have created
the waxed cheese
By PATRICK McGUIGAN
A Goosnargh cheese-maker has
accused two local rivals of copying
his Lancashire Bomb cheese after
they announced a huge export deal
to the US.
Barton-based JJ Sandham and
Longridge-based Singleton’s Dairy
revealed last month that they had
secured an order to supply US
retailer CostCo with 70,000 black
waxed cheeses, which are also
called Lancashire Bombs.
But Shorrocks Cheese, which
claims to be the original creator of
the cheese, reacted angrily to local
press reports on the deal – billed as
“largest single export of Lancashire
cheese from the UK ever” by
Singletons owner Tilly Carefoot.
Shorrocks, which is run by
Andrew Shorrock, criticised the two
companies and staked its claim to
the Lancashire Bomb in a post on
Facebook.
“It’s such a shame that two
local cheese producers think it’s
acceptable to copy our original
product and call it their own,”
it said. “Andrew Shorrock is the
original creator of the Lancashire
Bombs, he came up with the name
and the design over 27 years ago.
“He has worked tirelessly to
Two blues to join Stinking
Bishop in Martell’s stable
By PATRICK McGUIGAN
The creator of Stinking Bishop is
venturing into blue cheese for the
first time with two new products in
development.
Gloucestershire cheese-maker
Charles Martell is planning to launch
the two new pasteurised cheeses
– Blue-cow (cows’ milk) and Blewe
(sheep’s milk) – in time for Christmas.
Both foil-wrapped cheeses are
matured for 6-8 weeks.
Best known for making the perrywashed cheese Stinking Bishop, and
Single and Double Gloucester, Martell
said the 700g cheeses were large
enough to be cut on a deli counter
and small enough to work on a
restaurant cheeseboard. “Wholesalers
are always asking me about new
cheeses and if they can pick up a
bigger range from me in one go then
that’s all the better,” he said. “But
at the route of it all is just the fun of
doing it. Our cheese-makers (Daniela
Welsh and Justyna Musial) have really
enjoyed coming up with something
new and different.”
He added that the cheeses
have a semi-soft texture and dark
blue veins. “In terms of flavour,
they are not too strong, but there is
something to them with a sweetness
rather than bitter notes.”
www.charlesmartell.com
The sheep’s milk Blewe is one
of two new creations at Charles
Martell’s dairy
get the Lancashire
Bombs on the
market by standing
[at] thousands of
farmers markets
... And now when
they have become
an established, wellloved product, two
bigger companies
have joined forces
and are massproducing a cheaper
copy and claiming it’s theirs!”
The post received hundreds of
likes and dozens of messages of
support from the public.
Andrew Shorrock submitted a
trademark application for the term
Lancashire Black Bomb in 2010, but
told FFD that he withdrew it after
opposition from the Snowdonia
Cheese Company, which makes
Black Bomber cheddar.
Chris Sandham, MD of Sandham,
told FFD: “I’ve been making these
since 1997 so it’s not like I’ve just
jumped on it. It’s not a trademarked
product or a protected product. I
don’t know what his beef is.
“Not only are we selling in a
different country, we’re selling on
a different Conti