Price range: £3.65 through £21.90
Oxford Blue might sound like one of those ancient English cheeses with hundreds of years of history behind it, but it’s actually a relative newcomer.
It was created in the 1990s by Baron Pouget of the Oxford Cheese Company, who wanted to make a blue cheese with its own distinctive character. The result was Oxford Blue — rich and creamy, with plenty of blue flavour but a lovely softness that sets it apart from more crumbly British blues.
And I rather like the fact that it’s modern. We spend a lot of time talking about centuries-old cheese traditions, but every traditional cheese was new once. Oxford Blue is proof that there is still plenty of room for new ideas in British cheesemaking.
Oxford Blue was created in 1993 by Baron Robert Pouget of the Oxford Cheese Company, who wanted to develop a blue cheese with its own distinctive character.
Rather than trying to recreate Stilton, Oxford Blue was designed as something quite different. Its smaller, flatter wheels help give the cheese its characteristic creamy texture, while the blue veining brings plenty of flavour without overwhelming the richness of the milk.
More than thirty years later, Oxford Blue has become a familiar name on British cheese counters and a great example of a modern cheese establishing an identity of its own.
Oxford Blue is made from cow’s milk with Penicillium roqueforti, the blue mould responsible for those characteristic blue-green veins.
The curds are gently handled and placed into moulds before being allowed to drain. Later, the cheeses are pierced, allowing oxygen into the paste and encouraging the blue mould to develop.
The relatively small wheels mature for around 8 to 12 weeks. Inside you’ll find a pale, creamy paste threaded with blue, surrounded by a natural rind.
And like so many blues, it changes considerably as it ripens. The texture softens, the flavours deepen and the cheese becomes increasingly creamy — another reason why it’s worth giving it plenty of time out of the fridge before you eat it.
Oxford Blue has a lovely combination of creaminess and blue spice. The texture is smooth and slightly fudgy, becoming softer as the cheese warms up.
Initially, I find sweet, buttery milk flavours before the blue begins to make itself known. Then you get saltiness, a gentle tang and a lovely peppery warmth that builds rather than arriving all at once.
As the cheese ripens, more savoury flavours begin to develop. I often find something earthy and mushroomy alongside a gentle nuttiness, all held together by that rich, creamy paste.
There’s enough blue here to keep a committed blue-cheese lover interested, but it remains beautifully balanced. Nothing needs to shout to get your attention.
Jen’s note: With a name like Oxford Blue, you could easily imagine it having some ancient connection to university dining halls and centuries of academic tradition. In reality, it was only created in 1993. Proof that if you give a good cheese a good name, it doesn’t take hundreds of years to become a classic!
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Storage Advice
Delivery and Collection
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, starter cultures, rennet, salt, Penicillium Roqueforti
Normal opening Monday – Saturday 9am – 4pm until:
Sunday 22nd 9am – 4pm
Monday 23rd 9am – 4pm
Christmas Eve 9am – 12pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day Closed
Friday 27th Closed
Saturday 28th 9am – 4pm
Sunday 29th Closed
Monday 30th 9am – 2pm
Tuesday 31st 9am – 2pm
New Year’s Day Closed
Thursday 2nd January Closed
Friday 3rd 9am – 4pm then open as normal
After Christmas our courier delivery slots start from 8th January.
