Our Christmas orders are now closed. You can still buy our Cheese Subscriptions to start in January, as well as book our courses and tasting events. If you want to purchase vouchers you can do so until the 20th December but please note that it can take up to 48 hours for the vouchers to be emailed to you as we process these manually.
We have a full counter of cheese in our shop in Pangbourne so you can still come in and purchase items in store
Price range: £3.45 through £20.70
Lincolnshire Poacher is a fruity, nutty cheese similar in style to a cheddar with alpine influences. For me, it is much more than just another hard British cheese. It’s a modern classic that brings together tradition and a real sense of place. With its story, complex flavours, and endless versatility, it’s well worth seeking out.
Lincolnshire Poacher is one of those cheeses that seems like it’s always been part of the British farmhouse line-up, but it’s actually a bit of a newcomer. It first appeared in 1992, made by Simon Jones and his family, who have been farming at Ulceby Grange (just outside Alford, on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds) since 1917.
The Jones family had been working the land here for generations, but cheesemaking only started when Simon returned from agricultural college, brimming with ideas about artisan food. He signed up for a cheesemaking course, did his research on traditional dairies (especially those in the southwest), and, with a helping hand from Welsh cheesemaker Dougal Campbell, made his very first batch. The recipe was originally inspired by Campbell’s Tyn Gryg cheese, but Simon soon made it his own.
That first batch was such a hit with the locals that shopkeepers had to ration it, just a quarter-pound per person! Demand quickly took off, and before long, Simon had a full-time cheesemaker on board and a proper dairy up and running. His brother Tim joined in a bit later to help out with the business side.
What I really like about Lincolnshire Poacher is how it brings together different traditions. It’s made in the style of a West Country Cheddar, using raw milk from the farm’s own Holstein-Friesian cows, but the flavour and texture are much more interesting than your average cheddar.
The cheese is made with rich spring and summer milk from cows grazing the chalky pastures of the Wolds; not the first place you’d expect to find a dairy, but it works a treat. The curds are cut, pressed, and then left to mature for about 14 months. To protect the cheese and to prevent any mould growth a plasticoat is applied to the outside of the cheese. This means that the rind is inedible and should be removed before eating.
Lincolnshire Poacher has won numerous awards over the years. It took the accolade of Supreme Champion at the British Cheese Awards of 1996/97. This was followed by being announced as the Best British Cheese at the World Cheese Awards in the 2001/2002 season. In 2016 and 2017 it won the Best Hard Cheese at the Great British Cheese Awards. It has also won several Gold Medals in the Artisan Cheese Awards.
These awards all show that Lincolnshire Poacher is consistently hitting high standards and it is loved by both professional cheese judges and the general public alike.
Whenever I take a bit of Lincolnshire poacher I pick up both nutty and sweet notes in almost equal measure. Weirdly i also occasionally get a hint of pineapple, these batches are to be loved, shared and enjoyed! The more you chew the cheese develops a savoury, brothy depth that gives it real richness.
If you taste Lincolnshire Poacher at different times of year you’ll notice seasonal variations too. Summer milk brings a grassy, fruity brightness, while winter milk can give a more meaty, savoury complexity. People often say the Lincolnshire Poacher is a cross between a Cheddar and a Comté. I think it takes those two cheese styles and elevates them to a different level!
Jen’s note: The taste of Lincolnshire Poacher can change not just with age, but with the mood and comfort of the cows. On the Jones family farm, they believe that happy, stress-free cows make better milk, and they even have automatic cow massagers to keep the herd calm. The cheesemakers say it all adds up to richer, more flavourful milk, and a tastier cheese.
Sizes and Prices
Storage Advice
Delivery and Collection
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, starter cultures, rennet, salt
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.
