Grandma’s English Recipes

There are over 700 different cheeses produced in Britain. Cheese can be made from lots of different types of milk, such as buffalo milk, sheeps’ milk and goats’ milk. Most of the cheese eaten in the UK is made from cows’ milk. To make cheese, milk has to be separated into curds which are the lumpy bits and whey which is the liquid bit. We make cheese with the curds Some cheeses, like Mature Cheddar, are stored for one year or longer before they are ready to eat. They are kept in special rooms and sometimes even caves. Cheddar is named after the Cheddar Gorge caves in Somerset where the cheese used to be stored to ripen. Cheshire is one of the oldest British cheeses, and even gets a mention in the Domesday Book. Cornish Yarg came from a recipe found in a book in a farmer’s attic - his name was Mr Gray (Yarg spelt backwards). Caerphilly was traditionally eaten by Welsh coal miners for their lunch. Every spring sees locals in the village of Stilton, Peterborough, race along a course rolling giant, Stilton shaped wheels. Cheese comes in many different colours, textures, tastes and appearances. They can be hard, soft and some are runny. Cheese is packed with the protein that we all need to build and maintain our bodies. From hair to muscle, almost 20% of your body is made from protein. A small matchbox-sized piece of Cheddar contains as much calcium as a third of a pint of milk.

Buxton Blue: Buxton Blue is a cousin of Blue Stilton. It is lightly veined and has a wonderful deep russet colouring that hints at the very special tang of its flavour. This cheese is perfect with a chilled glass of sweet dessert wine.

British Brie: Considered to be the ‘Queen of Cheeses’, Brie is known for its smooth, yet tangy taste and its lovely aroma. It ripens quite quickly and must be eaten quite soon to benefit from the full flavour. It is great in sandwiches (with grape or apple); delicious in salads; and goes down sumptuously with a Medoc or Cabernet Sauvignon.

British Camembert: Splendid with a Rioja. With a slightly fuller aroma and flavour than British Brie, this cheese is a real treat. As it ripens, the flavour develops depth and complexity and the texture becomes soft and creamy. British Camembert is delicious with a green salad or deep-fried in breadcrumbs. Alternatively, it goes splendidly with a Rioja.

Caerphilly: The most famous of Welsh cheeses, Caerphilly is a fresh, white, mild cheese with a delicate, slightly salty and lightly acidic flavour. With a moderately firm, creamy and open texture, it was originally made a century and a half ago and eaten by hard-working Welsh miners. Apparently, the cheese’s saltiness replenished the salt lost from their bodies when mining. These days, Caerphilly’s distinctive flavour is enjoyed more above ground with a Zinfandel or a white Lambrusco. The process for making Caerphilly is long and complicated - after curdling at 89 0F, the curd is cut into cubes, stirred, and dumped into cheesecloths - but the delicious end product is worth the wait.

Cheddar: Mature Cheddar: Carefully matured under controlled conditions for nine to twelve months, Mature Cheddar has a firm, silky texture and a wonderfully full flavour. Some think that an interesting companion for this cheese is Guinness. A less unusual accompaniment would be a fine Merlot. Cheddar is a cheese with centuries of history. In the fifteenth century, it was stored in Somerset’s Cheddar Gorge caves to mature. It is the most widely purchased and eaten cheese in the world and originates from England - although it is imitated the world over.

Cheshire: Cheshire is one of the oldest cheeses around - it even gets a mention in the Domesday book. Its unique flavour derives from salt deposits in nearby pasturelands. This Coloured Cheshire does not differ in flavour from its sister White Cheshire. Both have a slightly crumbly and silky texture and both have a wonderfully full-bodied, fresh flavour. The only difference is the attractive colouring caused by an ancient vegetable dye called Annatto. “A Riesling or a Cabernet Sauvignon provides a nice balance to the cheese.”

Cornish Yarg: Cornish Yarg is a semi-hard cheese that is deliciously creamy under the rind and slightly crumbly in the core. It has a young, fresh, slightly tangy taste and is made by hand in open round vats. After pressing and brining the cheese is wrapped in nettle leaves. These are picked from the hedgerows and neighbouring farms and are then frozen for use throughout the year. The leaves are carefully brushed onto the cheese in a prescribed pattern and they attract wonderful natural moulds of white, green, grey and blue. These moulds help the cheese to ripen and as it matures these edible nettles impart a delicate, slightly mushroom taste. The end effect is a beautiful lacy pattern of leaves in blue and green. The cheese looks quite different from any other on the counter and tells its own story of dedication and commitment to a product that is quite different and totally special. It finds an unusual but rewarding companion in Boddingtons.

Derby: Derby has a smooth, mellow texture with a quite mild, buttery flavour. It is quite similar in taste and texture to Cheddar and ripens at between one and six months. It is delicious with either fruit juice or a glass or two of Shiraz.

Double Gloucester: A smooth creamy cheese Double Gloucester was traditionally made as a large wheel with a thick rind to withstand annual cheese rolling ceremonies - when cheeses were rolled down the hills in Gloucestershire to protect the grazing rights. It was originally coloured with carrot juice or saffron. These days cheese makers use a vegetable dye called annatto. Double Gloucester has a smooth, buttery texture with a clean, creamy, mellow flavour that suits a Rioja or a Riesling. Usually matured for around three or four months, Double Gloucester is pale orange in colour and has a smooth, creamy texture.

Dovedale: Dovedale is a sumptuous, creamy soft, mild blue cheese. Most British cheeses are dry salted, however Dovedale is brine dipped to add the salt giving it a distinctive continental appearance and flavour.

Gruyere: British swiss cheese. Originally made in the Swiss town of the same name, Gruyere is quite similar to Emmental, but has smaller and fewer holes. This Gruyere is made in Cheshire. It has a firm, chewy texture and a slightly tangy flavour that adds a delicious zest when used in cooking.

Lancashire: Farmhouse Creamy Lancashire A creamy open textured cheese with a mild flavour. Usually matured for 2-3 months. Creamy white in colour. Flavour Strength: Mild. Usage: Farmhouse Creamy Lancashire is wonderful for breakfasts, lunches, sandwiches and snacks. A superb cheese for children with a mild, creamy flavour. A great introduction to cheese for youngsters.

Parmesan: British version of an Italian delicacy. British Cheese lovers will be delighted to know that the UK offers its own version of this traditional Italian delicacy. A pale, straw-coloured cheese, it has a strong, sharp flavour and a dry gritty texture. It is an excellent cooking cheese and is usually grated and used as a seasoning or topping for pasta dishes.

Red Leicester: A good partner for beer. Traditionally made in a large cartwheel shape, Red Leicester is a rich, russet coloured cheese whose flaky and slightly open texture plays host to a distinctive mellow flavour. Its lush colour was largely responsible for the cheese’s popularity - especially in the Victorian period - and is caused by the use of Annatto, an age-old, tasteless vegetable dye extracted from a plant in South America. With a firm body and a close flaky texture, it takes around three to four months to mature and is great when eaten with fruit. It also makes a good partner for beer.

Sage Derby: Green veined, semi-hard cheese. This is a green veined, semi-hard cheese with a delightful, mild sage flavour. The custom of adding sage to Derby cheese began in the seventeenth century, when the herb was widely believed to possess health-giving properties, and gives the cheese another subtle level of flavour. Originally, Sage Derby was only made for festive occasions such as Harvest and Christmas, but today it is available all year round.

Shropshire Blue: Ideal for an afternoon snack. This cheese has a slightly misleading name as it has nothing to do with the county of Shropshire. In fact, it originated in Scotland in the 1970s before its production was transferred to Leicestershire. Made in a similar way to Stilton, it is a soft cheese with a sharp, strong flavour that takes between six and eight weeks to mature. Orange in colour with blue veining, it enjoys a slightly tangy aroma. A delicious accompaniment to Shropshire Blue worth trying is a simple cup of tea - making it ideal for an afternoon or early evening snack.

Stilton: Rightfully known as the ‘King of English Cheeses’, Stilton takes its name from a village just south of Peterborough in Norfolk. It was never actually made there, originating near Melton Mowbray at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Stilton is honoured with a certification trademark and Protected Designation of Origin status, meaning it can only be made in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire to a specified recipe. It is smooth and creamy with complex, slightly acidic flavour. It makes an excellent dessert cheese and is traditionally served with Port at Christmas. However, it can be enjoyed all year round and is worth trying with a dark cream sherry or a sweet dessert wine. It is also very versatile and can be used in hot or cold recipes.

Wensleydale: A cheese with history, the recipe for Wensleydale can be traced back to the Cistercian monks who came over to England with William the Conqueror in the 11th century. Eaten comparatively young - usually between one month and three months of age. Wensleydale tastes delicious when complimented by a nice slice of apple pie for an alternative dessert or afternoon snack. Wensleydale is a moist, crumbly and flaky textured cheese with a mild and slightly sweet flavour.

White Stilton: White Stilton has a certification trademark and Protected Designation of Origin status, meaning that it can only be made in the three counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire to a specified recipe. A mild, crumbly cheese with a delicious tangy flavour, White Stilton is younger than its blue cousin and also comes blended with apricots or cranberries for yet more taste sensations. Recent opinions have suggested that all of these White Stiltons are delicious with most white wines and the cranberry variant goes especially well with champagne.