Lincolnshire Poacher

I’ve got a report that needs to be written, so I’ve been working at home a bit to try and get my head around all the research. It’s quieter than the office, and I can’t access my work emails, so less distractions. I can also duck to the small deli around the corner from our place for good things to eat. They have a small but interesting selection of cheeses and when I went most recently, the name ‘Lincolnshire Poacher’ caught my eye. Inspired by the name and the shop assistant’s promise of a strong favour, I brought a chunk home for lunch.

It turns out to that the name comes from a traditional folksong about the joys of poaching (you can hear it here).  The cheese is made in Lincolnshire by brothers Simon and Tim Jones.  Using unpasteurised cows milk, it is made in a way similar to traditional cheddar – a process that involves layering blocks on curds on top of each other and letting their natural weight expel the whey (the layering bit is called ‘cheddaring’) –  as well as 36 hours of weighted pressing. The 20kg truckles are then naturally dried and matured for 14-16 months,. There is more detail on the cheese-making process here.

It’s good on its own and would go nicely with a apple and sultana chutney (although we had none to hand). It has a nice bite to it and is a bit chewy although it isn’t quite as strong as I expected. We’ve also been using it like a cheddar in cooking, grated it on baked potatoes and melted it on toast.  I tried the rind but probably wouldn’t recommend it. The makers also produce a vintage version that is aged for 18-22 months and I’d really like to try that.