Cotherstone has been made by Joan Cross for over thirty years. She is the last remaining producer of this Dales cheese, having learned cheesemaking from her mother.
Location
Teesdale, Durham
Our work with this cheese
Joan produces only very small batches of Cotherstone which are made to order. When the cheese arrives in our maturing rooms in Bermondsey it is very young and very moist. We dry-salt the cheese by rubbing the surface with sea salt. The cheese is then left to dry for another two to three weeks to form a natural crust that sometimes develops a pinkish-gold appearance. When the rind is fully formed, the cheese becomes broken down and softer towards the rind. It develops vegetal, earthy flavours, sometimes with a hint of yeastiness, almost like freshly baked bread.