Rugby 6 Nations Cheese Board

Appleby's Cheshire is the UK's oldest cheese on record, first appearing in the Doomsday Book in 1086, by order of William the Conqueror and is the only unpasteurised Cheshire still produced in the UK. It is pale orange in colour with a moist and crumbly texture, the flavour is clean and zesty on the tongue followed by a rich mouth-watering finish, with mineral-ish grassy undertones. Perfect on a cheeseboard or as part of a ploughman's lunch on a warm sunny day!

A soft blue cheese from Beechmount farm, Co. Tipperary, Ireland. Now made by Jane and Louis Grubb, this family’s cheese-making credentials date back to the 17^th Century. Characterful but not strong. the youngest Cashel Blue is between 6 to 10 weeks of age and is pleasant, firm and creamy edged with an established blue character which is offset by a mouth-watering tanginess. By 3 months of maturation the Cashel will have broken down to a richer, fuller and rounder flavour and develops a greater creaminess as it matures up to 6 months. A gentle, creamy blue, soft and silky with tarragon and white wine flavours.

Jeff and Chris Reade moved to Scriob Ruadh Farm (Red Furrow Farm) in 1979 after making cheddar in Somerset. The Mull cows are fed the spent grain husks (draff) from the whisky distillery at Tobermory. It smells and tastes winey and fermented, which contributes to the yeasty, feisty, sharp flavours of the cheese. A moist cheddar with a soft texture and quite wild, farmy fruity flavours. The strongest cheddar in the shop. Enjoy with full bodied red wine and fruit chutney, crackers or oatcakes.

One of the most popular cheeses in the shop! Comté is a Gruyère-style cheese from the Franche-Comté region. It is produced in large wheels during the summer months when the cows graze on high pastures. These cheeses are then aged for around 24 months, which adds nutty notes to the sweet flavour of mountain flora in the milk. The manufacture of the cheese began as early as the 12th century, and under the AOC protection laws the cows’ diet is strictly controlled, and silage forbidden, which preserves the purity of these flavours. Once summer has ended, so would production of Comté, and the cows' milk would be used to make Vacherin Mont d'Or instead.

One of the beautiful Italian sheep's milk cheeses. The Tuscan ewe, or pecora, enjoy fragrant, green pastures and produce rich milk.
Pecorino Rosso is matured for two to three months and the rind is rubbed with tomato paste and olive oil.
The cheese has a firm, smooth texture and a sweet, full flavour.
Try it with figs and honey.

Todd Trethowan of Trethowans Dairy became interested in cheese-making after a stint working behind the counter at Neal’s Yard Dairy in London, having previously studied archaeology. Three distinct flavours run through this cheese. It has a springy, citric, lactic centre; an oozy, mushroomy creaminess under the rind and a musty, earthiness in the rind itself.