Alderwood from Cranborne Chase Cheese
Based in the heart of the Dorset countryside, Cranborne Chase Cheese is celebrating the first birthday of its internationally renowned cheese, Alderwood. An artisan, semi-hard, washed rind cheese made using un-pasteurised milk from a single herd of Holstein Friesians; Alderwood has a unique taste which intensifies with age.
"It is always very exciting to be presented with an award for a new cheese and we are very proud of the success we have had with Alderwood in its first year. We have been making artisan cheeses since 2002, each with its own distinctive taste and texture, and it is very rewarding to receive such a positive response from some of the world's leading cheese experts," said Martin Del-Bo newly appointed Sales and Marketing Manager at Cranborne Chase Cheese.
A smooth cheese, Alderwood has a fresh, soft, rounded centre with a tangy, mature rind which is golden orange in colour. Each cheese is washed in brine, which encourages ripening bacteria to form the rind, giving Alderwood its distinct flavour characteristics. Young Alderwood cheese, which has ripened for six weeks, has a mild and sweet taste which matures to creamy and fruity during its final ripening period.
"Alderwood has a unique flavour profile which develops as it ages, due to the ripening of the mould and the natural flora of the area. Each cheese made by Cranborne Chase Cheese is individual and hand-made with passion, and the success of Alderwood is testament to the commitment and experience of our cheesemakers," finished Martin.
Cranborne Chase Cheese is made at Manor Farm in the Saxon hilltop village of Ashmore, situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Each of the Company's cheeses is hand-made using un-pasteurised milk, sourced from a single herd of Holstein Friesians, which grazes on the fine pastures where Cranborne Chase meets the Blackmore Vale. In the last three years the Company has been presented with awards for all of its cheeses, including Best Cheese by Country Living Magazine and the Great British Cheese Festival's Cheese Lovers Trophy.
