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Beenleigh Blue 

Region of Production: South-West England, Devon.

There are 3 cheeses in this group: Devon Blue (cow's milk); Harbourne Blue (goat's milk), and Beenleigh Blue (sheep's milk). Dimensions: Beenleigh Blue: 14cm diameter, 12cm deep; Devon Blue: 16cm diameter, 12cm deep; Harbourne Blue: about 16cm diameter, 12cm deep. Weight: 2.5-3kg. Colour: Beenleigh Blue: very pale creamy yellow, with green-blue veining; Devon Blue: very pale cream, almost white, with pale green-grey veining; Harbourne Blue: almost white, with very slight green tint, grey-green veining. Flavour and texture: Beenleigh Blue, rich velvety texture, well-balanced flavour notes of blue, salt and sheep, with underlying sweetness; Devon Blue, firm textured and salty, caramel-leather flavour note; Harbourne Blue, firm texture, initial goat tang, developing into a rich blue flavour.

This cheese originated in the late 1970s in Devon. It arose in part from necessity, as the producer sought new markets for sheep's milk; one answer was to make a blue cheese. The person who developed Beenleigh Blue and its sister cheeses, Robin Congdon, was one of a handful of pioneers in the artisan manufacture of fine cheeses. This tradition, once vibrant in the British Isles, almost died out during the 1940s under the impact of strict rationing. Sheep's milk cheese may once have been made in southern England - indeed, it was the dominant type - but Beenleigh Blue was the first blue sheep's milk cheese to he made in the area for many years. The milk comes from 2 flocks kept on the doorstep of the dairy. Devon Blue, made from milk of a designated herd nor far distant, was developed in the mid-1980s; Harhourne Blue is a new addition to the range, made from goat's milk from a single farm on the edge of Dartmoor.

The milk is heat-treated for 30 minutes before cheese-making commences. Starter is added, followed by vegetarian rennet and a culture of penicillium roquefortii; the curd is left for about 45 minutes, the exact time depending on the season, as this affects the quality of the milk. After cutting, the curd is stirred gently, then allowed to settle for about 15 minutes. The curd is broken by hand and packed into moulds, in which it remains for 2 days. The cheese is surface-salted, spiked after a few days, allowed to blue, and then wrapped in foil to stop the rind. The cheese is matured for up to 6 months. The methods for making Devon and Harhourne are very similar, but the first is matured for about 3 months. Season: Beenleigh Blue, made January-July, available September-February; Devon Blue, all year; Harbourne Blue, made all year, but the largest quantities are produced in the spring and early summer.