Northern Blue

Northern Blue won the Silver medal award at the 2019 World Championship Awards in Bergamo, Italy and has built up a solid fan base across the country. Created by Judy Bell MBE and her team in Thirsk, Yorkshire in 2019, this cheese has proven to be a winner for the Shepherds Purse line-up of quality cheeses and builds on the success of Yorkshire Blue.

Using a mixture of morning and evening milk, this rich and creamy cheese has perfect blue veining and a strong, punchy taste derived from a 10 week maturation and a stronger strain of Penicillium Roqueforti. It has a smooth, slightly salty taste that lingers on the palate.

The milk arrives from nearby farms and is pasteurised. It is then added to large vats together with vegetarian rennet, starter cultures and penicillium roqueforti. The curds are then cut to begin the separation of curds and whey. Curds are then poured into truckle moulds and allowed to settle under their own weight. They are turned regularly over the next 48 hours to ensure even distribution of moisture.

The cheeses are un-moulded and hand salted, before being transferred to their temperature and humidity-controlled cave for maturation. While in the cheese room they get turned regularly so the whey drains evenly and they mature consistently. The Norther Blue’s are taken out after about seven days to be spiked – a process which creates their distinctive veins. The penicillium Roqueforti is added to the milk to be activated by oxygen.

Each truckle receives about 200 punctures, before being wrapped in foil by hand and returned to the cave for further maturation. Blue cheese generates heat as it matures and the foil helps keep in the warmth, allowing it to develop evenly. This delivers that smooth, strong european style Norther Blue Cheese.