12 Hospital Street, Nantwich, CW5 5RJ
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12 Hospital Street, Nantwich, CW5 5RJ

Stinking Bishop
Stinking Bishop

Stinking Bishop

Made by Charles Martell and Son in Gloucestershire this award winning Monastic styled cheese is named after Stinking Bishop pear that it’s washed in. The Stinking Bishop pear was named after a 19th century farmer Frederick Bishop who was known for his riotous behavior. He once sold a cow at market and was determined not to return home till he’d drunk the profits. This he did but while waiting for the kettle to boil he decided to shoot it!

£5.90Quantity: 100g
Ingredients: Milk (Cow, Goat, Buffalo or Ewe’s Milk), Salt, Starter Culture, Rennet

For allergens, please see ingredients.

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Mouse with the cheese


Product Description

Made by Charles Martell and Son in Gloucestershire this award winning Monastic styled cheese is named after the Stinking Bishop pear that it is washed in.

Stinking Bishop is a full fat pasteurised cows’ milk, soft cheese made with vegetarian rennet. The rind is washed in perry which gives it its characteristic flavour, brown/pink rind and pungent smell. 

The name of the cheese is derived from the variety of pear “Stinking Bishop”, the juice of which is made into a “perry” and is used to wash the cheese. This gives the cheese its distinctive nose. The cheese should be the texture of thick clotted cream but on occasions is spoonable rather than sliceable! Stinking Bishop was made infamous after making a cameo appearance in “Curse of the Were-Rabbit” – a Wallace & Gromit film. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_%26_Gromit:_The_Curse_of_the_Were-Rabbit. This cheese may smell powerfully pungent, but the flavour is rather delicate and herbaceous and about 20 tonnes are produced each year

A monastic type of cheese which owes its origin to the Cistercian order of monks who once farmed the pastures of Hunts Court Farm whence it was launched in 1994. As with many monastic cheeses, this variety is matured in humid cave-like conditions. The rind is washed in perry because the 100 or so varieties of perry pear known nationally are peculiar to this part of Gloucestershire. One of these varieties is ‘Stinking Bishop’, a name which seems appropriate for this cheese. The Stinking Bishop pear was in turn named after a local mid 19th Century farmer called Frederick Bishop. He earned himself the nick-name ‘Stinking Bishop’ because of his riotous behaviour. An example of his behaviour is that he shot the kettle because it did not boil quickly enough!

One of our favourite recipes for using Stinking Bishop is Wild mushroom and Stinking Bishop tart made by Matt Tebbut from Saturday Kitchen. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/wild_mushroom_and_55565

The perfect drink to that will stand up to the Stinking Bishop is a pear-flavoured liqueur.  Our preferred liqueur is from Amazon; Gifford Poire William Pear Liqueur. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Giffard-Poire-William-Pear-Liqueur/dp/B004EAL1B4 

The cheese is made with unpasteurised raw milk and is not considered safe to eat by pregnant women unsing the NHS guidelines. As it uses vegetarian rennet then it is suitable for vegetarians. 

Stinking Bishop is best served at room temperature. Remove from the fridge when you open your bottle of wine (about about hour before); thus allowing the temperature of the cheese to slowly rise.

When you have finished. resist the temptation to wrap the cheese in cling film or place in an air tight container.  Cheese needs to breathe or it will sweat.  So tightly rewrap in the wax paper your cheese monger used and place it in the crisper draw of your fridge.  

Unopened cheese, stored like this, will keep for up to 14 days from the date it was cut by your cheesemonger.  If some white blooming appears, it is totally natural, don’t be concerned, just remove it and enjoy the remainder of your Stinking Bishop.