I could live without chocolate; I could live without wine (but I wouldn\u2019t want to); and I could live without hair colour; but I could never have a complete and meaningful existence without cheese. Luckily, I have made the acquaintance of a company called Sharpham Cheese, so I won\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n
There is so much cheese out there and most of it is good. Some of it is excellent, and Sharpham produce outstanding cheese \u2013 and it\u2019s British. I am not anti food products from beyond these shores, but in these tough times why would we not support more local companies who are offering cheeses every bit as good as the overseas competition and with far fewer miles from your own kitchen?<\/p>\n
From 1981 the 18th century coachyard of Sharpham House was home to the creamery where the Sharpham range of handmade cheeses was produced. Using the rich milk from their Jersey cattle and vegetarian rennet, their unpasteurised cheeses have been a huge success. In April 2003 they transferred production to a new purpose-built creamery. The company still holds to the same traditional techniques, and their products are free of GM ingredients.<\/p>\n
I will happily taste my way through every Sharpham cheese style, but I am starting this series of reviews with their Rustic Garlic and Chive. It\u2019s a semi-hard cheese and versatile. Try it first with some crusty white bread and savour the herby and rich flavour and texture. Allow its smooth character to contrast against the firm bread. Crumble some on hot pasta and mix in a beaten egg which will cook in the heat.<\/p>\n
![\"sharpham](\"https:\/\/www.mostlyfood.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/sharpham-cheese.jpg\")
The chives and garlic are added before the cheese is formed. After hand-pressing into basket moulds, the cheese is drained for 48 hours before being dry-salted. As the cheese ages, it is rubbed by hand to form the thin, natural rind, and the cheeses are turned each week.<\/p>\n
A full-size cheese will have a maximum shelf life of up to 2 months; the smaller cheeses have a shorter shelf life as they will ripen faster. The mini or medium cheeses will have a shelf life of 2-3 weeks from the date of dispatch.<\/p>\n
Sharpham Brie is my second cheese for review, but it is in no way second class. This is more of a Coulommier-style cheese which is almost indistinguishable from the usual Brie apart from shape. \u00a0It is hand-made to the company recipe at Sharpham and is a traditional mould-ripened cheese. I look forward to the time when British cheeses are no longer compared to French varieties, but rather the French might aspire to our heights of cheese perfection. Sharpham cheeses are already setting that benchmark.<\/p>\n
This Gold Medal winner at the 2019 Food & Drink Devon Awards is a classic. It\u2019s the go-to cheese as an element in a well-rounded cheeseboard, but it\u2019s a wonderful baking cheese as well. Think about a festive lunch when one wants to impress with a bit of smart innovation and nifty presentation. Simply slit the cheese across the middle and smear on a thick layer of fruity chutney. Wrap the cheese in puff pastry and bake. Serve with slices of cold thin-cut cured ham and a green salad. It looks delightful and tastes so rich and creamy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Visit Sharpham Cheese here<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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