An innovative cheese merchant has teamed up with the town’s home grown gin producers to create a unique flavoured cheese.
Richard Buxton and Simon Spurrell, who run The Cheshire Cheese Company in Sutton, have joined forces with Forest Gin, based at Lyme Green, to create what is thought to be the first ever gin flavoured cheese.
Richard, 50, says the combination – which includes lemon – has already been a huge hit with customers.
He said: “I’m always thinking of new flavour combinations and with summer coming it occurred to me that gin would be a good one to try. Forest Gin is only up the road and really, really good, so it was natural that I’d approach them to see what they thought.
“We had to work on a few flavour combinations to get the balance right, and we’re really happy with it.”
He added: “It’s got this creamy flavour of the Cheshire cheese, but the lemon comes through and there’s this back note of gin.”
It’s not the first time Dad-of-two Richard has come up with a unusual flavour combination, working with a sweet factory Swizzels Matlow last year to create parma violet flavou r.
He added: “The parma violet cheese was last year and really divided opinion. I thought it was about time I came up with something new. It’s pretty unusual, I’ve not heard of a gin flavoured cheese so we think it’s a world first.”
Richard, who has won numerous awards for his cheeses, is hoping his Forest Gin Cheese will impress judges at the International Cheese Festival in July.
Anyone wishing to taste the limited edition cheese is invited along to a special gin tasting event at Sutton Hall, on Bullocks Lane in Sutton.
The gin tasting event, which includes three serves of gin alongside a charcuterie board, takes place this evening (Wednesday, June 7). Tickets cost £15 from the pub.
The Cheshire Cheese company was set up by Richard and business partner Simon Spurrell and includes shops at Trenton Gardens, Bakewell, Derby and York, with new plans to open a flagship store in Macclesfield.
The new cheese will be available across all of its shops, as well as artisan markets. It can also be bought online at www.cheshirecheesecompany.co.uk .
