Ravensworth

Nicola has a long pedigree in British farmhouse cheesemaking.  Nicola ‘cut her teeth’  milking goats and making cheese at the formidable, late great, Mary Holbrook’s farm in Bath, (Mary Holbrook was a real awe-inspiring pioneer of goats cheese in the UK in 1980s and 90s). After learning all she could from Mary, she helped out at various farms (including Kirkham’s Lancashire) before setting up St James cheese with Martin Gott in 2006 making sheep and goats milk cheese on their own farm.  The renownedness of their outstanding farming methods and unique cheeses, soon spread throughout the world and they won every accolade going (James Aldridge Award, Artisan Cheese Awards, BBC Food & Farming Awards).

In 2024 Nicola branched out by herself to create some new and exciting cheeses, Ravensworth is the first of these.  Using local Cumbrian goats milk, Nicola has combined methodologies from the UK (starting out like a very soft Lancashire) with techniques from France (like washing the rind – exactly 9 times!) to further soften the cheese and create a totally unique cheese.   This maturation also brings out its delicate, herbaceous, goaty flavour alongside a fruity, sweeter, aromatic tone from the rind.

Please note: Ravensworth is made on a very small scale and that means batches will 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, but rest assured that whatever the style, the cheese will always be delicious…

Interested to know more?  Read this interview with Martin Gott.

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.