Description
Somerset Brie Cheese
About Somerset Brie
Somerset Brie is proof that you don’t have to cross the Channel to find a lovely, creamy Brie.
Ours is made at Lubborn Creamery in Cricket St Thomas, Somerset, where soft cheeses have become something of a speciality. Made with pasteurised cow’s milk collected from local farms, it’s a gentle, approachable Brie with a soft white rind and a wonderfully creamy centre.
It may take its inspiration from the great Brie traditions of France, but this is very much an English cheese, made in Somerset with West Country milk.
Brie Comes to Somerset
Brie itself has a history stretching back centuries in France, but British cheesemakers have become rather good at putting their own spin on the style.
Lubborn Creamery, tucked away in the valley of Cricket St Thomas, became known for producing soft mould-ripened cheeses in Britain. Alongside Somerset Brie, the creamery has produced Somerset Camembert and Capricorn goat’s cheese.
Somerset Brie starts with pasteurised cow’s milk. Cultures and vegetarian rennet are added before the curds are cut, transferred into moulds and allowed to drain. The cheeses are then lightly salted and moved into maturing rooms, where that familiar soft white rind develops.
Like all good Brie-style cheeses, it continues to change as it ripens — and that’s where things get interesting.
Somerset Brie – Jen’s Tasting Notes
Somerset Brie is a lovely example of how much a soft cheese can change as it matures.
When it’s young, the centre is firmer and slightly chalky, with a fresh, milky flavour. As it ripens from the outside in, the paste becomes softer, richer and increasingly creamy.
The white rind is completely edible and adds gentle mushroomy notes to the sweet, buttery cheese underneath. I often find flavours of fresh cream and milk, with a little nuttiness and earthiness developing as the cheese matures.
It’s not a big, challenging Brie. It’s gentle, creamy and very easy to love — which makes it a brilliant choice if you’re only just beginning to explore soft cheeses.
But do give it time to ripen. For me, Somerset Brie is at its best when that centre has lost its chalkiness and the whole piece is beautifully soft.
How to Serve and Pair Somerset Brie
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can soften properly.
- Classic pairings: We’re in Somerset, so this one is easy — Somerset cider. The fresh apple acidity is brilliant with all that creamy cheese.
- Something a little different: English sparkling wine works beautifully too. The bubbles and acidity cut through the richness without overwhelming the delicate flavours.
- On the plate: Fresh baguette or sourdough, sliced pear or apple and perhaps a few toasted hazelnuts. That’s plenty.
- In the kitchen: As we’re cutting this from a larger wheel, forget all that nonsense about baking it whole! Put a slice into a toastie with caramelised onion, melt it over mushrooms or tuck it into a tart.
Jen’s note: Brie might be French by birth, but there’s no reason the French should have all the fun. This one is made at Cricket St Thomas in Somerset — and I think it’s a lovely example of how a classic cheese style can take on a character of its own when it’s made somewhere new.
Buying West Country Brie
- Brand: Cricket St Thomas
- Product Name: Somerset Brie
- Milk: Cow
- Country: England
- Region: West Country
- Strength: Mild
- Vegetarian: Yes
- Suitable for pregnancy: No
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- 100g wedge, £2.85
- 500g wedge, £14.25
- Whole wheel (approx. 1.1kg), £29.00
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, vegetarian rennet, salt
