Description
Rollright Cheese
About Rollright
Rollright is a wonderfully soft, washed-rind cheese made by David Jowett and the team at King Stone Dairy in Gloucestershire. Wrapped in a band of spruce bark and with a gorgeous soft, creamy centre, it takes its inspiration from the great washed-rind cheeses of the Alps.
If you like cheeses such as Vacherin Mont d’Or or Reblochon, Rollright is definitely worth getting to know. But this isn’t simply a British copy of a European cheese. David has taken that Alpine tradition and created something with a very definite Cotswold identity of its own.
Made with pasteurised cow’s milk, Rollright becomes increasingly soft and yielding as it ripens. That band of spruce around the outside isn’t just there to make it look pretty either — it helps the cheese keep its shape as the centre becomes gloriously soft.
From Kitchens to Cheesemaking
Rollright was created by David Jowett, who originally trained and worked as a chef before deciding that cheesemaking was where his future lay.
Before setting up King Stone Dairy, he learnt his craft with some seriously good cheese people, including Neal’s Yard Dairy, Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont and Gorsehill Abbey Farm in Worcestershire. That combination of experience eventually led him to create his own cheeses, with Rollright becoming one of the best known.
There’s a lovely crossover between cooking and cheesemaking in Rollright. It’s a cheese that feels carefully thought through, but when you actually sit down to eat it, it’s wonderfully simple: good milk, careful maturation and an awful lot of creaminess.
A Cheese Wrapped in History
Rollright takes its name from the Rollright Stones, a group of ancient Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments close to the original home of the dairy near Chipping Norton.
Production later moved to Manor Farm in Gloucestershire, but the name stayed. I rather like that connection between a relatively modern British cheese and a landscape with thousands of years of history behind it.
And then there’s that distinctive band around the outside. Rollright is wrapped in spruce bark, which supports the cheese as it softens during maturation and gives the finished wheel its unmistakable appearance. Remove the wrapping and, if the cheese is beautifully ripe, you’ll find a soft, glossy paste that’s just waiting for a piece of crusty bread.
Rollright – Jen’s Tasting Notes
For me, Rollright is all about the texture. When it’s properly ripe it becomes wonderfully soft and creamy — sometimes almost spoonable — with a glossy paste that seems to melt as soon as you eat it.
The rind brings gentle earthy, yeasty and savoury aromas, with just enough washed-rind funk to make things interesting without frightening anyone away.
Taste it and you’ll find lovely fresh cream and crème fraîche flavours first, followed by a gentle grassiness and then some much more savoury notes. I sometimes find cured ham and mustard seed in there, along with a lovely nutty richness that can almost remind me of peanuts.
It’s rich, savoury, creamy and incredibly more-ish. Just make sure you give it enough time out of the fridge — eating Rollright cold would be a terrible waste of all that lovely gooeyness.
How to Serve and Pair Rollright
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
- Classic pairings: A dry sparkling wine or Champagne is brilliant with Rollright. The acidity and bubbles cut straight through that rich, creamy texture and leave you ready for another mouthful.
- Something a little different: Try a saison or farmhouse ale. Those fresh, yeasty flavours work really well with the washed rind and savoury character of the cheese.
- On the plate: Crusty bread and a few cornichons. That’s it. When Rollright is perfectly ripe, you really don’t need to mess about with it.
- In the kitchen: Warm it gently with a little garlic and herbs and use it almost like a fondue, dipping pieces of crusty bread straight into the cheese. Delicious, although possibly not first-date food!
Jen’s note: Whatever you do, don’t throw away the spruce band before you’ve finished the cheese! It’s there for a reason. As Rollright ripens and becomes softer, the bark helps hold everything together — particularly when you’ve got one that’s gloriously gooey.
Buying Rollright
- Brand or Producer: King Stone Dairy
- Product name: Rollright
- Milk: Cow
- Country: England
- Region: Gloucestershire
- Strength: Medium
- Vegetarian: No
- Suitable for pregnancy: No
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- 100g wedge, £5.00
- 500g wedge, £25.00
- Whole cheese (approx. 1.2kg), available to pre-order
Storage Advice
- Keep refrigerated
- Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
- Remove from the fridge before serving
- Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening
Delivery and Collection
- UK wide courier delivery
- Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
- Free local delivery available for selected postcodes
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, starter cultures, rennet, salt
