The old-fashioned, matured Wensleydale made in the farmhouses throughout the dale, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, would naturally have 'blued'. However, as cheese was made on a factory scale in the mid 1900's and beyond, the white, crumbly variety became the fashion and the blue variety became extinct in the dale.
Wensleydale Dairy Products are now reviving the manufacture of this 'old fashioned' type of Wensleydale cheese, by emulating ancient traditional recipes. Blue Wensleydale cheese is lightly pressed for only 24 hours before being bound in a muslin bandage. It is then transferred to a humidified maturing room, akin to a farmhouse or even monastery cellar; dark, cool & moist. The cheese is turned regularly, pierced to facilitate blue mould development and matured for at least six weeks.
The finished cheese is a delicacy; inside the golden rind a close textured blue veined cheese is revealed. Blue Wensleydale has a delicate, yet full flavor, which is not strong or acidic with an almost honeyed aftertaste. The celebrated Blue Veined Wensleydale requires six months to mature. It has a smooth creamy texture similar to Stilton but with a mellower flavor that will appeal to newcomers & connoisseurs alike
