Bonchester Blue PDO

Bonchester Blue

This cheese is currently not in production.

Bonchester Blue is a flat cylindrical shaped, white coated full fat soft cheese made from unpasteurised Jersey cows milk. It is yellow in colour, smooth in texture with a mild taste. The cheese contains a minimum of 20% fat and maximum of 60% water.

The cheese is made in the border lands of England and Scotland within a radius of 90Km from the summit of Peel Fell in the Cheviot Hills. Bonchester Bridge is in Roxburghshire, Scotland.

The climate and soil in the area enables certain types of grasses and herbs to flourish. The flavour these pastures impart to the milk of the Jersey breed of cow along with the microbial flora that has colonised the dairy and the unvarying cheese making process gives the cheese its qualities.

Origin
The cheese was developed on the Easter Weens Farm in 1980 using traditional methods. The milk used was from the designated area and from Jersey cows.

Method of Production
Milk from the designated area is warmed to 32°C . Starters are added and the milk is incubated for 1½ hours at a temperature of 25°C – 32°C. An hour after the addition of rennet the curds are cut and 20 – 30 minutes later decanted into moulds. The cheese go through a series of turnings followed by brining at 13°C (15 to 20 minutes for small cheeses and 30 to 40 minutes for larger ones). After draining the cheeses are turned daily for 4 days and then left to mature for 6 to 12 days, during which they are again turned daily.

Producers
There are currently no producers of Bonchester Blue