Black-Eyed Susan
Around the time the Cheese Shed started, Daisy and Co (Richard and Caroline Harbord) came up with a quartet of mould-ripened cheeses on their farm near Bruton in Somerset. All variations on a theme, they used the organic, pasteurised milk from the Harbord's own herd of Jersey cows. Black-Eyed Susan is the version studded with black peppercorns. At one time we supplied this to the restaurants at Twickenham Stadium, where it was a big hit.
In 2010 the Harbords retired, but happily near-neighbours Godminster were able to take over, working with the same cheesemaker, so the Harbords cheeses survived and we can still enjoy them.
Organic, pasteurised, vegetarian.
Godminster Vintage
Godminster Farm is near Bruton in Somerset. Owner Richard Holingsbery is a passionate organic farmer who, like many farmers, found himself needing to diversify as the millenium approached. In his view, it scarcely made sense to make cheese himself when he was surrounded by so many good ones (and in that part of Somerset it's really true). He approached local creamery Wyke Farm and asked them to make some small cheese truckles with Godminster's milk. The resulting cheese was a huge success, and the relationship has gone on from there. Today the red-waxed Godminster cheddars need more milk than the farm can supply on its own, but the cheese regularly contains 50% Godminster milk, and never less than 25%.
So among our cheddars, the Godminster is very much the odd-man-out: this is a modern, creamery-made cheese and can't be described as 'artisan'. What it is, we feel, is a good representative of this sort of thing, and we're happy to include one alongside the traditional cheddars
Godminster has since added other products to its range - vodka, chutney, biscuits - but always inspired by and using ingredients from the Farm itself.
In 2010 Godminster bought Daisy & Co. Richard and Caroline Harbord were near-neighbours who made a series of small organic bries; when they wanted to retire it was logical for the dairy to be taken under Godminster's wing.