Yoredale Blue

Years ago, before the advances of cheese-making techniques, Wensleydale cheese made on farms in the area often would naturally blue. 

The blue version of our traditional Yoredale Wensleydale. It is clothbound and aged for 1-2 months, before being pierced and aged further. The piercing allows the blue veins to form and break down the tart-freshness of the Wensleydale, giving it a smooth and soft texture with mellow spicy-blue flavour. 

This cheese gets its orange colour from a natural vegetable colourant called Annatto. Annatto has been used in cheesemaking for hundreds of years, though it's typically seen more in Cheshire or Red Leicester style cheeses. It was originally added because a darker colour cheese was taken as an indication of quality. Nowadays we add it to stand out from the crowd on the cheese counter! More about annatto.

Pair with: Caramelised onion chutney