Travels for Cheese – Episode 2. Here be goats!

Well after the last quick bimble to pick up cheese didn’t crash and burn horrifically I decided to do another one….. This time goats were involved.

One of the great parts about this location for a shop is it’s location at the end of a long country B road, plenty of blossoming trees and many opportunities to let the Meteor rip. Genuinely I think Royal Enfield should just aim part of its UK advertising at riders living in rural areas. Especially as we are nearing the crucial first service the engine is opening up more and more. I originally whined about the effectiveness of engine breaking, I’m going to have to reassess that after the first service in another post. But now, onto the cheese!

First up I munched the yellow waxed matured goats cheese. Named ‘Mardler’ for reasons best known to the producer of it, as you can tell it went well with this chutney too!

I’ve had quite a few matured goats cheeses in the past and somehow they have all managed to be a bit on the sour side. Not thus one, this is creamy, really damn creamy to be honest although it doesn’t have a strong taste. To be honest that suits it if you ask me, especially if you like a good mouth texture!

“Wait Val, that looks just like Brie!” I can hear the vast majority of you thinking, to be quite honest I really don’t blame you from thinking that. I did wonder if that was deliberate and after a quick check of the site it appears that was the intention and I’m not the only person who thinks so. It is at its essence ‘Goat-Brie’, it’s not quite as creamy as say a Somerset style and nor as salty as Normandy. It’s got its own thing going on here!

Now this one isn’t made here but to me that is partially irrelevant as all cheese has to be made somewhere! This is a ewe’s milk cheese although I personally disagree with the label it is brie-style as I think this actually sells the cheese short. This is closer to camembert in it’s style and has a much stronger and deeper taste than the brie style above. Yes, I am aware that is the difference between ewe & nanny milk but that shouldn’t detract from the style and depth of flavour. Put this cheese in your mouth!

As you can tell there was a fourth cheese involved, I didn’t review it because to be honest port is not to my taste. For me, it’s what my wife adds to meat juices before the obligatory half a litre of Hendo’s gets sloshed in.

All in all a fairly successful haul of cheese and certainly a location I shall be revisiting in future.

Onwards!