Mature Kirkham's Lancashire
milk type
Cow
ingredients
Raw Cow's MILK, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Animal Rennet
coagulant
Animal Rennet
milk treatment
Raw
location
Near Goosnargh, Lancashire
milk source
Own herd
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milk type
Cow
ingredients
Raw Cow's MILK, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Animal Rennet
coagulant
Animal Rennet
milk treatment
Raw
location
Near Goosnargh, Lancashire
milk source
Own herd
breed
Holstein
season
All year
average age
10 months
Show Less
Mature Kirkham’s Lancashire was developed by the maturation team at Neal’s Yard Dairy to offer a more strongly flavoured alternative of this classic British cheese.
Background
In 2014 we started a trial where we took Lancashires and matured them at different temperatures, to different ages. We were excited at the results and so took over the Borough Market shop with seve...
Read More
In 2014 we started a trial where we took Lancashires and matured them at different temperatures, to different ages. We were excited at the results and so took over the Borough Market shop with several hundred Lancashires which needed tending to by the retail team. We chose the shop as home to this project because it best reflects the environment that Lancashires would traditionally have been stored at the farm: warmer and drier than our purpose-built maturation facilities. Every week, the shop team would turn and rub each cheese and makes notes on how they were developing. Once a month, our Buyer would taste through the cheeses with the shop team to assess how the flavours were developing and make the decision of when to release the next batch for sale. Now that our Borough Market shop is much smaller, maturation of these cheeses has moved back to our main facility where they’re cared for by our specialist team.
Read Less
Our Work
Mature Kirkham’s Lancashire is aged for approximately nine to twelve months by our maturing team. The cheeses are selected by our buyers at the farm when they are six weeks old, and then sent down ...
Read More
Mature Kirkham’s Lancashire is aged for approximately nine to twelve months by our maturing team. The cheeses are selected by our buyers at the farm when they are six weeks old, and then sent down to us in London a few weeks later. They are turned and gently brushed once a week. It takes the maturing team just over a minute to look after each cheese, allowing them time to evaluate mould growth, moisture loss and any potential anomalies. Of our Territorial cheeses, the mature Lancashire is the most labour-intensive, but the rewards for that hard work are many; a rounded yet significant tang, and a visible crumble that belies a rewarding succulence when chewed.
Read Less
Accompaniments
Damson Paste - 200g Slice
£10.40
Rosebud Piccalilli Chutney
£7.00
Serving Suggestions
Serve chunks of Lancashire with warm Eccles cakes.
FAQs
As a general rule of thumb, we would recommend roughly between 100 and 150 grams per person for after dinner, and a bit more if cheese is the focus of the meal. If you are buying cheese to serve over a couple of days or as part of a buffet, it is advisable to buy a few larger pieces. This will both look better and keep better than many small bits. To help visualise weights, a good tip is to consider that a regular supermarket pat of butter weighs between 200 and 250 grams. If you are at all unsure please give us a call for some advice.
The best option is to keep your cheese wrapped in its paper within a box in the fridge. This will prevent the cheese from drying out and absorbing other flavours. Your cheese will arrive wrapped in waxed cheese paper, which achieves the best possible balance between maintaining humidity around the cheese and allowing it to breathe. We are happy to provide some free extra cheese paper, just search for "cheese paper" and add it to your basket. We don't recommend cling film or foil as it can cause the cheese to sweat which will negatively affect the flavour.
Mature Kirkham's Lancashire
The longer maturation of these cheeses helps to create a more upfront, punchier flavour profile, whilst the texture is slightly drier but just as wonderfully crumbly as in the younger cheeses
Mature Kirkham’s Lancashire was developed by the maturation team at Neal’s Yard Dairy to offer a more strongly flavoured alternative of this classic British cheese.
milk type
Cow
ingredients
Raw Cow's MILK, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Animal Rennet
coagulant
Animal Rennet
milk treatment
Raw
location
Near Goosnargh, Lancashire
milk source
Own herd
breed
Holstein
season
All year
average age
10 months
background
In 2014 we started a trial where we took Lancashires and matured them at different temperatures, to different ages. We were excited at the results and so took over the Borough Market shop with several hundred Lancashires which needed tending to by the retail team. We chose the shop as home to this project because it best reflects the environment that Lancashires would traditionally have been stored at the farm: warmer and drier than our purpose-built maturation facilities. Every week, the shop team would turn and rub each cheese and makes notes on how they were developing. Once a month, our Buyer would taste through the cheeses with the shop team to assess how the flavours were developing and make the decision of when to release the next batch for sale. Now that our Borough Market shop is much smaller, maturation of these cheeses has moved back to our main facility where they’re cared for by our specialist team.
our work with this cheese
Mature Kirkham’s Lancashire is aged for approximately nine to twelve months by our maturing team. The cheeses are selected by our buyers at the farm when they are six weeks old, and then sent down to us in London a few weeks later. They are turned and gently brushed once a week. It takes the maturing team just over a minute to look after each cheese, allowing them time to evaluate mould growth, moisture loss and any potential anomalies. Of our Territorial cheeses, the mature Lancashire is the most labour-intensive, but the rewards for that hard work are many; a rounded yet significant tang, and a visible crumble that belies a rewarding succulence when chewed.
pairing suggestion
Serve chunks of Lancashire with warm Eccles cakes.
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