Walsingham
The Basics
| Make | Hard | ||||
| Sub Make | Cheeses which acidify in the vat | ||||
| Post-Make | Wrapped, Rolled or Processed | ||||
| Sub Post-Make | Artificial (plastic coating, wax coat, matured in vacuum pack) | ||||
| Typical age profile | 9 months | ||||
| Approximate weight(s) | 5kg | ||||
| Dimensions |
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| Geographical origin | Wighton, near Wells-next-the-Sea, Norlfolk, United Kingdom | ||||
| Protected status | N/A | ||||
| Species of milking animal | Cow | ||||
| Breed of cow | Brown Swiss | ||||
| Raw/pasteurised milk | Pasteurised | ||||
| Vegetarian/animal rennet | Vegetarian | ||||
| Commonly encountered variations | Smoked Walsingham -smoked over oak chips at low temperature |
The Story
Walsingham is a hard cheese made by Catherine and Stephen at their Copy’s Green Farm It has undergone a pressing and maturation process creating a crumbly textured cheese. It is described as a cross between Wensleydale and Cheddar. The name Walsingham is taken from an adjacent village, which in Medieval times was a major pilgrimage centre after Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago.
Catherine and Stephen use sustainable and responsible cheesemaking techniques to develop their cheeses. Biomass technology fuels the energy at the farm, using an anaerobic digestor (which uses farm waste) to generate heat, hot water and electricity. They were granted Green Farmers of the Year in 2006 and since then have adopted regenerative farming methods, reducing tillage, the use of fertilizers and sprays, promoting a better soil microbiome using cover crops. Commended in the CREAM Climate Sensitive Agriculture Awards 2023 and winners of Livestock Award from Aylsham Agricultural Association 2023.
The Character
A creamy, firm but crumbly textured cheese with a yellow paste and medium strength cheddar flavour.
Perfect Partners
With pickled onions and sliced bread to make a local Ploughman’s lunch