Quicke’s, one of Britain’s most renowned cheese makers, is known for traditional hands-on methods, but their latest forage into clothbound cheddars takes this to a new level. One of their most recent creations gives new life to one of our favorite pairing principles–if it grows together, it goes together–and we got the inside scoop on this original cheese’s pastoral backstory.
Elderflower, in ancient folklore, is a sacred plant. It’s also native to Britain, making it the perfect new addition to the Quicke’s cheesemaking legacy.
When a friend of the farm commented on the elderflower blooms around the property during the summer, the team at Quicke’s had the delicious idea to create a brand new cheddar infused with these delicate white blossoms. Needing exact specifications to grow, elderflower blooms have an extremely short season, meaning Quicke’s foragers had to work day and night for two weeks to get the desired amount of blooms to produce this new floral cheese.
Selecting a buttery profile to complement the herbaceous notes of the flowers, the cheese is matured for over six months, with the dried elderflower blooms being added during the last step of the cheesemaking process to ensure maximum flavor and provide a a beautiful speckled look to the yellow paste.
Smooth, aromatic, and distinctly herbal, this crowd-pleasing floral creation is an earthy cheddar that we think pairs perfectly with roasted veggies, chutneys, and English Pale Ales.
