Price range: £3.95 through £23.70
An award-winning Cornish Alpine-style cheese, matured for around 16 months with rich nutty, caramel and savoury flavours.
From the same dairy that brings us the nettle-wrapped Cornish Yarg comes something completely different.
Cornish Kern is a long-matured, Alpine-style cheese made by Catherine Mead and the team at Lynher Dairies in Cornwall. It’s big, firm and full of flavour, with a dense golden paste and the occasional crunchy crystal hiding inside.
Kern was first developed in 2015 when the team decided to make a cheese that could be matured for considerably longer than Yarg. Inspired by traditional Alpine cheesemaking but very definitely made in Cornwall, it went on to become one of Britain’s most celebrated modern cheeses.
And it didn’t take long.
In 2017, Cornish Kern was named Supreme Champion at the World Cheese Awards.
Sorry, Pierre.
The name Kern comes from the Cornish word for ’round’, a nod to the large round wheels in which the cheese is made.
It starts with pasteurised cow’s milk from local herds. The curds are cooked and pressed to create a dense structure before the wheels are left to mature for around 16 months or longer.
That time is important. As Kern matures, moisture is lost, the texture becomes firmer and its flavours become increasingly concentrated. You may also find little crunchy tyrosine crystals developing in the paste — always a welcome discovery as far as I’m concerned.
The cheese is protected by a dark coating while it matures, which gives Kern its distinctive appearance. Unlike Yarg’s nettles, this rind isn’t edible, so leave this one behind.
Cornish Kern is one of the hardest cheeses in our counter — and I mean that quite literally. Cutting a large wheel certainly gives you a workout.
The texture is firm and dense, but once it’s in your mouth it begins to soften beautifully. I often find little crunchy crystals too, which give you a lovely contrast against the smooth paste.
Flavour-wise, there’s loads going on. Toasted nuts and browned butter come first for me, followed by caramel, malt and a lovely savoury depth. Then there’s a gentle sweetness which always reminds me of pineapple.
That’s what I particularly like about Kern. It’s a big cheese with plenty of flavour, but nothing dominates. Sweet, nutty and savoury flavours seem to appear one after another, and the finish just keeps going.
Definitely don’t rush this one.
Jen’s note: Cornish Kern was named Supreme Champion at the World Cheese Awards in 2017. Amazingly, that was also the year we won a World Cheese Award for our cheese counter. I think 2017 was a pretty good year all round!
Sizes and Prices
Storage Advice
Delivery and Collection
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, starter cultures, vegetarian 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.
