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By choosing Montgomery's Cheddar you are getting one of the best Cheddars produced. A cheese in which great care is invested under the supremely critical eye of Jamie Montgomery.
The name "Cheddar" has been debased by some pretty poor cheeses over the years which led the farmhouse producers in the West Country to group together to secure the right under European legislation to the exclusive name "West Country Farmhouse Cheddar" - a sort of appellation controllee. Montgomery’s meets and surpasses all the requirements for this accolade but since the rules have been somewhat widely drawn, the accolade is not perhaps such a guarantee of quality as it might have been. Thus it is fitting that this cheese is one of only three cheeses entitled to use the Slow Food accolade of Artisan Somerset Cheddar.
To qualify for this the cheese must be made in Somerset, where the damp climate is recognised as the best for growing lush pastures. From the milk of the farm’s own cows, allowing control of quality from start to finish. Made using raw milk which allows the positive flavours of the milk (which are removed by pasteurisation) to truly express themselves. Made using Pint Starters, the traditional live bacteria essential to give a unique character to the cheese. Made using animal rennet, the holistic method of curdling the milk to give a rounded flavour. Cheddared by hand, so that the texture of the curd changes from crumbly lumps to pliable, elastic slabs, which is crucial to create the "body" characteristic of artisan cheddar cheese. Cloth bound to allow the cheese to breathe, leading to natural maturing and the development of complex flavours. Finally, aged to a minimum of 11 months to allow the complex flavours to develop.
Cheesemaking at the Montgomery's farm in North Cadbury, near Yeovil, is one of the very few remaining examples of how Cheddar was made in the 19th century. You should find the cheese to be full flavoured, slow maturing and, at 18 months of age or thereabouts, to have developed a depth and complexity of flavour which has few rivals. There are variations of taste from one day's production to the next depending mainly on the pastures the cows have been grazing and the starter culture used. All the cheeses are good, some are superb with that complexity of flavour and full bodied roundness that makes them such a joy. It is not surprising therefore that this cheese has won numerous awards including in 2004 (British Cheese Awards) both Best Cheddar Cheese and Supreme Champion.
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