I had a great wee trip down to London last week to meet our suppliers with my shop managers Marc and Tayla – we visited Neal's Yard, who deal with most of our British artisan cheeses, and Mons, who cover Continental cheesemakers, as well as having a wee gander at the Harrods Food Hall to see how they do things and browsing all the wonderful foods they have at the Borough Market. Two days full on but well worth it!
Meanwhile, we're hiring for part-time positions in the Edinburgh and Glasgow shops, so swing by with your CV or email it to us at glasgow@georgemewescheese.co.uk or edinburgh@george mewescheese.co.uk.
Finally, I've got a BIG announcement coming up – got to keep it under my hat just now until all the details have been ironed out but I'm really excited about what's in the pipeline, so watch this space!
All the best in cheese George Mewes
Cheese of the Week Rachel
An awesome new arrival that we started stocking recently shoots up to Cheese of the Week this week as the batch we have in just now is exceptional!
Rachel is a semi-hard washed rind goat cheese made by Roger Longman and Peter Humphries of White Lake Cheese at Bagborough Farm, near to the Glastonbury Festival site at Pylle, Somerset.
Roger's family has been making cheese for nearly 100 years at the farm and Rachel is crafted from the raw milk of their mixed herd of Toggenburg, British Alpine and Saanen goats. It's a delicate, fragrant and smooth cheese that's not too strong and goaty, with a sweet tang and slightly nutty taste.
Rachel is washed regularly with brine as it matures, which is quite a rare technique for a goat cheese, giving it a warm orangey-brown crust dotted with orange and yellow spots. A multi award-winner, its latest triumph was a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in 2019.
Look out too for its stablemate Sheep Rustler, a raw ewe’s milk version of Rachel. Add some to your basket today!
Treat of the Week Michele Portoghese pasta
They don't make pasta in different shapes just to be fancy you know – it's because different pasta shapes hold different sauces better than others. Michele Portoghese's bronze extruded pasta is made from premium durum wheat and selected grains before being carefully dried to lock in the goodness – and we've got two of their new shapes in the shops this week. Paccheri is a large tube, originating in the Campania region, ideal for stuffing or eating with heavier meat or seafood-based sauces, while gnoccheti sardi is found all over Sardinia and is like a small gnocchi, with an open side to let in and hold tomato-based sauce. Why not try out both!
Available now from George Mewes Cheese in Byres Road, Glasgow, and Stockbridge, Edinburgh.
GOAT Lingot des Causses – Creamy and soft, velvety texture, fresh, tangy and herby flavour. Unpasteurised, traditional rennet, from France.
EWE Manchego Ojos del Guadiana – Rich, creamy, sweet, piquant, aromatic, fruity and savoury with subtle nutty notes and an aftertaste of sheep's milk. Unpasteurised, traditional rennet, from Spain.
HARD PRESS
Keen's Cheddar –Dense, rich and creamy, bright acid tang, savoury and fruity. Unpasteurised cow's milk, traditional rennet, from England.
CONTINENTAL Mimolette – Fruity aroma, buttery, salty and nutty, hints of butterscotch. Unpasteurised cow's milk, traditional rennet, from France.
SOFT
Morangie Brie – Smooth and silky, sweet and creamy, with undertones of mushrooms and grass. Pasteurised cow’s milk and vegetarian rennet, from Scotland.
BLUE
Picos de Europa – Pasteurised mix of cow and goat's milk. Dense veins of blue, bold and salty, strong, spicy and rich. Traditional rennet, from Spain.