Lincolnshire Poacher Cheddar
Like buttered bread sprinkled with sea salt, béchamel lasagna, bone marrow with brioche, a crackling fire, and Pat Benatar, cheddar consistently supplies comfort without asking for anything in return. Except for you to upgrade to the good stuff.
I’m all for mixing the high with the low, and when it’s time to make a potato gratin for a family of twelve, it’s okay to buy cheddar a little lower than $20 a pound. But when it’s time to whip out the cheese plate at the end of the night and there’s a bottle of stout calling your name in the fridge or a Bordeaux looking pretty on the counter, that’s when you want to go big.
Go Lincholshire Poacher.
One of my favorite cheddars, crafted by two robust cheesemaker brothers in the British countryside, is Lincolnshire Poacher.
Made from the milk of 230 Holstein cows eating organic grasses and grains in Lincolnhsire, east England, this cheese sets a high bar for the cheddar world. Although the Ulceby Farm producing the cheese has been in the Jones family since the early 1900’s, cheesemaking didn’t fully kick off until the nineties, after a Jones son went to agricultural school and played around with a Welsh cheesemaker with a little bit of rennet.
Lincolnshire is a beefy, sometimes sharp and spicy cheese with buttery tones. Although blessed with a little more funk than some, it is similar to other cheddars of nearby regions that are also made in small batches, and will get bolder as it ages. It is exported by Neal’s Yard Dairy and can be found at Cowgirl Creamery in San Francisco’s Ferry Building, and Cheeseboard and the Pasta Shop in Berkeley.
As far as its favorite drink, well, Lincolnshire is kind of a cheap date. It likes to party and would only slightly turn up its nose at a Long Island tea. However, it favors dark beers, dark red wines like Cabernet blends and Zinfandels and as far as whites, loves full-bodied Chardonnays and Viogniers. And whiskey and scotch and bourbon.
And that pretty little fruity thing in the ramekin next to it is Frog Hollow peach chutney. Lincolnshire Poacher appreciates a little spunk in its sweet acoutrement, so a number with onions, chile and sugar does it up well. Fresh, tart apple slices- also delicious.
What’s your favorite cheddar? British? Born in the U.S.A or New Zealand?
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Where can I purchase lincolnshire poacher cheese in the US? I have found places in teh UK but they will only ship to the UK. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
would like to know also
Margaret & My Year on the Grill:
I’ve seen Lincolnshire Poacher at the Cheeseboard and the Pasta Shop (Berkeley) in Bay Area. Don’t know if they ship. Pasta Shop might. Cowgirl Creamery in San Francisco, Petalum and Washington DC also carries it, and they sell it in-store, through their wholesale dept for restaurants and shops and might ship if you ask them nicely. Good luck! http://cowgirlcreamery.com/contactus.asp
I’ll also look into it on twitter and report back.
I recently purchased some Lincolnshire Poacher at Whole Foods. Check with your local cheesemonger there and see if they have it or can get it. Seems as if Neal’s Yard is doing a push here in the states and partnering with Whole Foods.
Kristen, I agree with everything you said about Lincolnshire. My preference usually runs to the more assertive cheeses and this one fits the bill.
I’m so glad to hear they are carrying this at Whole Foods. My favorite kind of cheddar is any strong, aged one and this sounds like it would be a winner on my next cheese plate. Can’t wait to try it!
Brilliantly written. Bravo.
So glad you’re inspired to try this one. I just attended a Neal’s Yard Diary talk and will be writing more of their cheeses up in the future too.
One of the few drawbacks of living in Italy is the lack of any sort of cheddar cheese; yes, we are blessed with many a lovely formaggio…but a large chunk of my heart belongs to cheddar.
I just made a rocking Welsh Rabbit with Montgomery Cheddar. Almost as rocking as Pat Benatar!
Poacher is nice, but I prefer Isle of Mull Cheddar. Cabot Clothbound is an excellent domestic option. And for those stuck in Italia… try Bra Duro, an excellent cow’s milk cheese that could be called an Italian cheddar.
It is so great to see a post on this cheese! I used to live in London and these guys would sell at the Notting Hill farmer’s market. There were 1 year, 2 year and even 5 year poachers (maybe even older) and I always made sure to buy plenty as they only came every other week. It is probably why, now back in the US, I always buy the strongest cheddar possible!