Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Cheese Alert: Neal’s Yard Shropshire Blue

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I tried a new cheese this week.  It made me weak in the knees.

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I have a job where I work on the fringe of the cheese world as a Merchandiser.  I have an elementary knowledge of cheese but find it fascinating and love learning about and discovering new cheese.  This one is my latest find.

This is a special cheese.  I would call it an indulgence.

Did you happen to notice the price tag on this tiny package of goodness?

Yes…a mere $24.99 per pound.  That’s right.  Un huh! And it is worth every penny!!  Of course a whole pound is a lot of cheese.   I don’t need that much.  This little piece will be just the right amount and I can splurge on a $7.50 piece of dairy heaven every now and then right?

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This is one of the famous Neal’s Yard Cheese shops.  Love that blue awning.  Neal’s Yard is a cheese company in England that buys cheese from about 70 cheese makers in both England and Ireland and they sell their cheese in two of their famous stores in London.  And lucky for us here in the states they export to shops and restaurants all over the world.  They carry some of the finest cheese the U.K. has to offer. 

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I will shop here someday.  Oh, yes, I WILL shop here one fine day. (And I will ask for a sample of the “Stinking Bishop” in the photo above.)

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I’m having mine with a sliced pear.  I found my little package of Shropshire Blue at Whole Foods in their Specialty Cheese case. (I had to go all the way to Chapel Hill in NC to find this treat as we don’t have a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe’s or a Southern Seasons here in Greensboro.)  Whole Foods was offering samples.  Offering samples is smart.  That cheese was flying out the door.  A piece flew out with me.

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Neal’s Yard Shropshire Blue is a cow’s milk cheese.  It is best to serve it at room temperature.  Delicious and it melts in your mouth.  If you like Blue cheese, this one is a highly recommended.  The flavor is incredible. 

11 comments:

Brenda Pruitt said...

I wish we had a Whole Foods. They were talking about one here. But you know, the whole economy thing. That cheese looks sooo good!
Brenda

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

I love cheese, Lisa! It's one of the things that I, thankfully, did not have to give up when I had to go gluten free just over a year ago.

If you ever get time, I'd love to hear what are some good cheeses to go with red wines. I'll bet you know some good ones!

Jane said...

You made the cheese sound so good! We are in the process of planning a trip to London in May (hopefully it will come together)...I may just have to hunt down Neal's Yard cheese shop. I'll keep you posted.
Jane

Miss Mustard Seed said...

You're brave...I'm a little scared of funky cheeses. I'm a cheddar kind of girl. Although I love havarti cheese. Heavenly.

Erin said...

I feel like such a cheese ninny. Teach me your ways, oh wise one.

Room to Inspire said...

Oh, I love cheese and this one looks fabulous! I will keep an eye open next time I am picking up cheeses, hopefully they have it here in Seattle.

Chelsea

RNSANE said...

I can't wait to try it...just recently, cheeses were the topic of my blog! I love ALL kinds...just hate the damn calories, though!

Melanie said...

Oh my, I love blue cheese. Thanks for sharing and teaching us a little about cheese. I LOVE the doorbell!

Anne Lorys said...

Thanks for making my mouth water!
Dang, that cheese looks sinful. :-)

Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement on my blog!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Anne

Gayle from Southern Thresholds said...

Yummo! one of my favorite things on Earth...I LOVE to shop at Southern Seasons in Chapel Hill..I'm curious, how does one get to be a cheese merchandiser?

Anne said...

Made of note of this cheese the other day when I read your blog, and couldn't believe it when I went to the grocery today and one of their cheese samples was a Shropshire Blue. I took a taste and went mmmmm...then walked around for about 5 minutes...kept tasting the wonderful flavor in my mouth...then was back and bought a 1/4 pound of it. It's definitely pricey at $19.99/lb...but well worth every delicious bite! I found it at one of the Kroger Signature stores in Houston, TX.