![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The last wheel of Redesdale
Apr. 9th, 2021 03:42 pmMy cheesemonger informs me -
What? Doesn't everybody have a cheesemonger? But how do you manage...?
Never mind. As I was saying, my cheesemonger informs me that the Northumberland Cheese Company has changed hands, and has stopped making a number of their cheeses, including my favourite, Coquetdale. Coquetdale's a beautifully balanced hard cow's milk cheese, just sharp enough but not too sharp, sweet and nutty. It's not just my favourite Northumberland cheese, but pretty much my favourite overall since they started pasteurising the Cotherstone (that's another story, but it was more than 20 years ago). Cotherstone's still a pleasant, curdy cheese, but it's not what it was, and now it seems there's no more Coquetdale, either. My current favourite is another Northumberland cheese, the Elsdon goat's milk (with apologies to GirlBear, who is not a fan of goat cheeses: this one isn't aggressively goaty, but it's certainly identifiable).
There was some good news, the cheesemonger said: she had managed to secure the last wheel of Redesdale, which had also been discontinued. I'm hoping she's mistaken, because Redesdale is still listed on the cheese company's website, but it's a fine phrase, and I ordered some. (I also suggested that she investigate stocking Lacey's cheeses, to fill the gap.)
What? Doesn't everybody have a cheesemonger? But how do you manage...?
Never mind. As I was saying, my cheesemonger informs me that the Northumberland Cheese Company has changed hands, and has stopped making a number of their cheeses, including my favourite, Coquetdale. Coquetdale's a beautifully balanced hard cow's milk cheese, just sharp enough but not too sharp, sweet and nutty. It's not just my favourite Northumberland cheese, but pretty much my favourite overall since they started pasteurising the Cotherstone (that's another story, but it was more than 20 years ago). Cotherstone's still a pleasant, curdy cheese, but it's not what it was, and now it seems there's no more Coquetdale, either. My current favourite is another Northumberland cheese, the Elsdon goat's milk (with apologies to GirlBear, who is not a fan of goat cheeses: this one isn't aggressively goaty, but it's certainly identifiable).
There was some good news, the cheesemonger said: she had managed to secure the last wheel of Redesdale, which had also been discontinued. I'm hoping she's mistaken, because Redesdale is still listed on the cheese company's website, but it's a fine phrase, and I ordered some. (I also suggested that she investigate stocking Lacey's cheeses, to fill the gap.)
