Colston Basset Shropshire Blue

Blue Vein
Cow's Milk
Nottinghamshire, England

Shropshire Blue was first made in the 1970s at the Castle Stuart dairy in Inverness, Scotland. It was originally produced by Andy Williamson, a cheesemaker who had trained in the making of Stilton cheese in Nottinghamshire. The cheese was eventually marketed as 'Shropshire Blue', a name chosen to help increase its popularity, despite it having no link to the county of Shropshire.

This cheese is rich and lactic with a wonderful balance of warm spice, earthiness and butter notes. When young, wheels tend to have a slightly tangy edge but with age, this dissipates. The cheese is coloured with annatto making an impressively vivid orange and blue paste.