Description
Wensleydale with Cranberries Cheese
About Wensleydale with Cranberries
Wensleydale with Cranberries is one of those cheeses you notice straight away; all snowy white with those bright red cranberries peeking through. There’s a lovely balance of sweetness and tang, and while it always seems to find its way onto Christmas cheeseboards, cranberries aren’t just for Christmas! We sell plenty of it all year round, and I think it deserves its place on a cheeseboard whatever the season.
And following what we’ve already established, sometimes you just want cheese with fruit in it.
Wensleydale is particularly good at carrying added flavours because the cheese itself is fresh and relatively delicate. It has a lovely lactic acidity, often described as lemony, which provides a brilliant contrast to the sweetness of the cranberries.
From Monks to Cranberries
Wensleydale itself has a much longer story than the cranberry version.
Its history stretches back to the Cistercian monks who settled in the Yorkshire Dales in the 12th century and made cheese initially using sheep’s milk. Over the centuries, Wensleydale evolved into the predominantly cow’s-milk cheese we recognise today, famous for its pale colour, moist crumbly texture and fresh acidity.
The addition of cranberries came much, much later.
Fruit cheeses became increasingly popular towards the end of the 20th century, and Wensleydale proved particularly well suited to them. Dried cranberries bring sweetness, acidity and a little chewiness without completely overwhelming the cheese underneath.
And the combination stuck.
These days, Wensleydale with Cranberries has become a cheeseboard classic in its own right — particularly once the Christmas decorations come out.
Wensleydale with Cranberries – Jen’s Tasting Notes
Good Wensleydale has a lovely fresh, clean flavour.
It’s moist yet crumbly, with a gentle milky sweetness followed by that distinctive lemony acidity. Then you hit a cranberry and get a little burst of sweet, slightly tart fruit.
It’s the difference in texture that I particularly enjoy: crumbly cheese followed by those soft, chewy pieces of cranberry.
The fruit also makes the freshness of the Wensleydale seem even more noticeable rather than simply making the cheese taste sweet.
It’s gentle, fruity and very easy to eat — which probably explains why it disappears so quickly from Christmas cheeseboards.
How to Serve and Pair Wensleydale with Cranberries
- 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: An off-dry Riesling works beautifully. The acidity matches the freshness of the Wensleydale while a little residual sweetness complements the cranberries.
- Something a little different: Try it with something sparkling. Prosecco works particularly well and makes the whole thing feel suitably celebratory.
- On the plate: Oatcakes or simple crackers are all you really need. There’s already fruit in the cheese, so I wouldn’t start piling jam on top as well!
- In the kitchen: Put it in the Boxing Day turkey sandwich. Turkey, Wensleydale with Cranberries and perhaps a little stuffing — Christmas leftovers sorted.
Jen’s note: Cranberries aren’t just for Christmas! We sell Wensleydale with Cranberries all year round and it never ceases to amaze me how popular it is. Cheese snobs might turn their noses up at fruit in cheese, but our customers certainly don’t — and I think they might be onto something.
Buying Wensleydale with Cranberries
- Brand or Producer: Wensleydale Creamery
- Product name: Wensleydale with Cranberries
- Milk: Cow
- Country: England
- Region: Yorkshire
- Strength: Mild to medium
- Vegetarian: Yes
- Suitable for pregnancy: Yes
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- 100g wedge, £2.90
- 500g wedge, £14.50
- 1/2 Wheel (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, sweet dried cranberries
