Anster

For over 50 years Jane Stewart and her partner Robert have been farming in Fife (where in true Scottish style their cows sleep on oat husks, a by-product from the nearby Quaker-Oat factory).  In 2007 they decided to make cheese with the high-quality unpasteurised milk given by their homebred herd of Holstein-Friesian cows, so they created the St. Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Company.  Jane crafted a recipe to make a crumbly, lactic, fresh cheese, using cheese-making techniques of the North of England (Cheshire and Wensleydale for example).  After a cheese-making course at Reading University, Jane carried out a fact-finding trip in the South West of England and Wales (with the renowned expert Leon Downey).  Returning to the farm, she and Robert created ‘Anster’ cheese, named after the nickname for the nearby fishing village of Anstruther in Scotland.

After stocking Anster for several months, The Courtyard Dairy found that their customers (and Andy Swinscoe himself) preferred some batches of Anster to others, those batches with a richer, more-developed flavour – these turned out to be made with one particular ‘starter bacteria’ culture.  Anster from these specified ‘starter bacteria’ batches is now specially selected for The Courtyard Dairy’s customers.

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.