Hello Readers,

So after a very busy schedule of festivals & shows I’m getting more consistent with posting cheese features again! This week I have decided to bring a very unique & different spin on the classic Wensleydale cheese; Wensleydale with salted caramel.

So where did it all begin?

Its best described through some paragraphs from http://www.wensleydale.co.uk and so I will bring you those now.

“Wensleydale cheese has a heritage that spans centuries, with its roots firmly set in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. First crafted in the 12th Century by a group of Cistercian monk settlers in Wensleydale, the art of Wensleydale cheese-making was perfected over time, and eventually found itself in the hands of local farmers’ wives. It wasn’t until 1897 when the first creamery was built in Hawes that Wensleydale cheese-making began on a large scale. However, the industrial depression of the 1930’s saw trading conditions become more difficult. Had it not been for Kit Calvert MBE, a now-legendary Yorkshire businessman, the Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese as we know it would not exist today.

Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese has now achieved Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status. Achieving PGI status will ensure that no other cheese-maker outside the designated area can produce a cheese and call it Yorkshire Wensleydale. To be classified as a protected food and awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), a product must be produced, processed or prepared within a specific geographical area and bear qualities, features or a reputation that is attributed only to that region. Yorkshire Wensleydale’s unique creamy, crumbly taste, which is full of flavour, is a result of the unique starter cultures that, combined with our cheese-making expertise, create a cheese with a texture and flavour that no other region can match. These unique elements, together with the multi-award winning status and reputation based upon quality, consistency, provenance and authenticity of Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese, secured this international seal of approval. We also source milk from local family farms, to help ensure the quality and authenticity of our Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese, which also helps contribute more than £10 million to the local Dales economy.”

There are many benefits to the Hawes Wensleydale creamery for Yorkshire, United Kingdom & cheese world. The care & attention that goes into every cheese is second to none and plays a valuable part in the wonderful taste of the cheese.

One of the most recent additions which is exclusive to Waitrose is Wensleydale & Salted Caramel which is brilliant to make a cheesecake (Thank you to Holly Mitchell for that one). Now a few people say that Wensleydale is bland and unexciting but it has a taste that is to be appreciated slowly, it doesn’t punch you in the mouth or give you a salty flavour, its delicate, crumbly and milky with a smooth finish. Now add into the mix the sweet & saltiness of salted caramel and it transforms the cheese into a dessert, this cheese is brilliant on a quirky cheese board or on its own as a dessert. It isn’t that versatile and the sweetness wont be for everyone but with the increasing popularity in salted caramel/ peanut butter products this will appeal to an ever growing market. The next time your in a Waitrose pick some up from the counter and discover the unordinary Wensleydale with Salted Caramel to add an edge to your cheese feast.

Jon