St Elizabeth
Savoury, rich, sweet.
This cheese is no longer made, why not try the similar Yorkshire Pecorino
This is an unusual find – a washed-rind sheep’s cheese. The tasty, rich milk of the Lacaune breed of sheep produces an incredible flavour as St Elizabeth cheese breaks down, varying from soft with savoury, meaty flavours to firmer with a creamy, rich sweetness.
Awarded:
Still made seasonally, St Elizabeth cheese comes into its own after lambing, when the milk flows. St Elizabeth is a washed-rind cheese made in south Cumbria by Nicola Robinson using local sheep’s milk from neighbouring farmer Andrew Talbot. He uses a non-intensive method of farming: the sheep graze the rich fields of southern Cumbria and are only milked once a day, making for a less-stressed animal and a better-quality milk. The cheese is made naturally using homemade starter cultures, to truly capture the terroir.
St Elizabeth developed out of a blending of traditional Northern cheese recipes (Nicola spent some time at Kirkham’s Lancashire) but with only a minimal quantity of milk and a small enterprise she chose not to make the big hard cheeses of Britain, but to ladle the curds into square moulds then wash the rind akin to the likes of Taleggio and French washed-rind cheese. This encourages the pinkey-orange hue on the rind (made by a range of edible bacteria and yeasts that love that wet environment) which adds a savoury complexity to the sweet richness of the interior.
Nicola cut her teeth learning how to farm and make cheese with the late, great Mary Holbrook in Bath; from there she was part of the partnership that set-up the multi-award-winning St James cheese, where she farmed and made cheese for over 15 years. In 2024 she continued that love for cheese and set-up by herself, putting her knowledge and expertise to good use with two new cheeses, St Elizabeth and Ravensworth (a goats’ version).
Please note: St Elizabeth is made on a very small scale and that means batches can vary in flavour and texture (from soft and oozing to firm and chalky). If you’d like to find out how the current batches are tasting, please phone to check, but rest assured that whatever the style, the cheese will always be delicious… and quintessentially St Elizabeth.
Recipe Idea: Buckwheat Crumpets with St James from Kevin Tickle at the Forest Side
This product will have two weeks’ shelf life from the date of delivery. Conveniently, at checkout you can choose a delivery date even well in the future if you would like your cheese delivering for a specific event.
Ingredients: Milk, salt, cheese cultures and rennet.
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Just tried this cheese for the first time and it’s absolutely delightful. It’s got a lovely flavour and the creamy texture is delicious. I loved in on a water cracker for the contrasting texture.
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Subtle flavoured cheese that surely suits everyone’s tastes? Inoffensive but memorable long after you’ve eaten. Perfect for a summer’s evening with a light red wine.
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We are huge fans of goats and ewes cheese and this was our first taste of St James. It is absolutely magnificent – and unlike any sheep’s cheese we’ve ever had. To say it is incredibly moreish would be something of an understatement – we adore it!
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I just ate my first St James cheese and it has instantly taken its place on my list of favourite cheeses. Crumbly, with an edible rind and a taste that manages at the same time to say, ‘I am a sheep’s milk cheese’ and to be completely individual. It makes me hanker for the days of centuries ago when almost all cheese was made with milk from the ewe. It’s just brilliant.
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We bought a decent sized piece of St James at the Southport Flower Show. A big mistake – we should have bought a piece twice as big! This is REAL cheese – and I really am a cheese fanatic. It’s got everything a soft cheese should have and is totally delicious on its own, the way I like to eat cheese, as do the French. Well done Nicola and Martin. By the way, is there anywhere in the Wirral area where I can buy some?
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Bought at Southport show – brilliant cheese -ripe but creamy and sharp
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I bought some yesterday at the Neal’s Yard Cheese Shop in Covent Garden after tasting it. I have always preferred cows cheese until I tasted this one, it’s subtle but distinctive, wonderful.
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Superb. We love sheep’s milk cheese and this one is ace. Subtle but distinctive flavour and very soon gone!
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We had St James at dinner on Monday. All present thought it wonderful, the taste and aroma reminding us of many happy days in the Lakes.
The 500g we had lasted about half and hour. I will be buying again and hope the season is not too short. Well done Martin and Nichola.
Did you know?
Key Facts
| Attributes |
|---|
| Pasteurised |
| Sheep's Milk |
