Better with Cheddar

This past Sunday, Marty Stiglich and the Sunday Broadway Pastoral crew did battle with a beautiful wheel of Montgomery's Cheddar that had been hand selected for our store by Neal's Yard, the distinguished English cheese shop and affineur. As seen in the pictures, the opening was well attended, and Marty made quick work of the 57 lb wheel so it could be shared with the crowd. This beautiful, hard to find wheel, aged for nearly two years, is currently available at Pastoral.

Why is this cheese so special? Well, Montgomery's Cheddar is the quintessential bandaged wrapped cheddar, perhaps the best tasting in the world. Made on the Manor Farm in Somerset England with the raw milk of their Fresian Holstein herd, it is an amazingly complex cheese with a lingering presence on your palate that is the mark of a wonderful cheese. It is drier and flakier than its American counterpart, but the nuances of this cheese are impressive. Aged at roughly a 25% higher temperature than American cheddars, these golden yellow wheels can be nutty, mushroomy, and perfectly barnyardy. The aging in cheese cloth allows for a transference between hand made cheese and aging room that bestows this cheese with all its unique characteristics. Stay tuned to the Pastoral Blog and pastoralartisan.com for future instore events!


- Nat