“We started making cheese only 10 years ago”
Julie and Kevin Hickey are making waves with their handmade cheeses – and sperrin blue is the jewel in the crown. Lucas Hollweg visited their dairy to find out how the story began
PHOTOGRAPHS DAVID CHARBIT
delicious. 2018 PRODUCE AWARDS WINNER
food hero.
WHAT MAKES SPERRIN BLUE WORTHY OF A PRODUCE AWARD?
The rich, long-lasting flavour and pleasing texture are what won this cheese top honours in the From the Dairy (Artisan) category of the 2018 delicious. Produce Awards. The gnarled rind gives way to a pale gold interior, veined with lines of blue. It’s perfectly in balance, not bitter and less salty than many blue cheeses.
“I’ve gone to the less salty end of the blue spectrum,” explains Julie. “The cheese morphs as it matures. It starts out at the crumbly end, then as the interior breaks down it becomes creamier. People who swear they’d never eat blue often find they like it.”
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
Food writer, chef and TV presenter Prue Leith “Wonderful fresh flavour with good acidity.”
Editor Karen Barnes “A king among cheeses – a treat to savour.” Food writer Xanthe Clay “Great flavour, and without a trace of bitterness.”
Chef and TV presenter Andi Oliver “Perfect for enjoying with a glass of port.”
4 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT BLUE CHEESE
• The blue mould doesn’t just affect flavour and colour. It also speeds up the breakdown of fats and proteins, giving the cheese a creamy texture.
• There are two main types of mould used to create the veins in blue cheese: Penicillium roqueforti and Penicillium glaucum. The latter imparts a gentler, sweeter flavour than the stronger P roqueforti.
• Roquefort is aged in caves near the town of the same name. The caves have the perfect conditions for the Penicillium roqueforti bacteria to grow. The cheesemakers traditionally used mould grown on bread left in the caves to inoculate the curds.
• Many blue cheeses are pierced with stainless-steel needles to open up air channels so the cheese can develop its characteristic blue veins.