Brightwell Ash Cheese

Description

We are sorry but this cheese is UNAVAILABLE until spring 2025.  The cheesemakers are moving and Brightwell Ash will not be made until next year once they have relocated. We are recommending Selles-sur-Cher PDO as an alternative.

Made in Shillingford, South Oxfordshire, Brightwell Ash is a disc shaped goats’ cheese with an ash based natural rind. It has a silky texture and particularly sumptuous flavour with hazelnut and citrus notes. Released at three weeks old it has great taste for a young, fresh cheese.

The name Brightwell Ash comes from a village near to the Earth Farm Trust where the goats, whose milk goes into this fabulous cheese, graze. We also sell Sinodun Hill from the same dairy.

We visit the cheesemakers, Fraser and Rachel, every couple of weeks to collect fresh cheeses from their dairy. It’s lovely to get to hear their news and to meet their friendly goats! Fraser and Rachel began cheesemaking in 2014 having been inspired by an article they read about cheese whilst on holiday. It was a complete career change for them both, but it has proved to be a successful one. They applied to the Earth Farm Trust Charity which runs a scheme called Farm Step. This was designed to give new agricultural businesses by helping hand by leasing space on their land in Oxfordshire.

All of this meant that Fraser and Rachel were able to house their goats and set up their dairy all in one area. They have a herd of 130 goats which are predominantly Anglo Nubian (the cute goats with the floppy ears). These goats give a particularly creamy milk which is wonderful for cheesemaking. The goats get milked each morning and the milk goes straight into the vat so the cheesemaking process begins whilst the milk is still warm. This results in beautifully creamy cheeses with the perfect balance of flavours.

Try this cheese with a chilled glass of Pouilly Fumé.

Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)

MILK, salt, starter cultures, vegetarian rennet, vegetable ash, ripening cultures.