The Captain brandishes a box of Royale during the Grand Opening of The Liquor Factory in Sparta, NJ. Want to find Artisanal Premium Cheese in a store near you? Try our store locator. Or simply order cheese from our website.
My good friend Mary Falk once referred to raw milk as “manna from heaven.” Today’s Wall Street Journal issued this press release: “New Studies Confirm: Raw Milk a Low-Risk Food.” Drawing from a Journal of Food Protection publication, three quantitative microbial risk assessments (QMRAs) demonstrate that unpasteurized milk is a low-risk food, contrary to previous, inappropriately-evidenced claims suggesting a high-risk profile.
Today, even (if not especially) within the dairy industry itself, raw milk is regarded as a dangerous food, whereas cheese is considered to be comparatively safe. That cheese may be safer could take into consideration the fermented nature of cheese with its lower pH level (the more acid environment tending to thwart pathogenic contamination) as well as the salt in cheese – salt being the great preservative that it is. The myths surrounding raw milk abound, which could have something to do with the word “raw.”
The peer-reviewed QMRAs demonstrate a low risk of illness from unpasteurized milk consumption for each of the main pathogens attributed to dairy: Campylobacter, Shiga-toxin inducing E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus. This low risk profile of raw milk is attributed to immunologically-susceptible groups as well as to healthy adults.
Anecdotally, in my two decades as a cheese guy the cheeses crafted from raw milk have enjoyed far longer shelf lives than their compromised milk counterparts.
Max McCalman
Appleby’s Cheshire Cheese|Neal’s Yard Dairy Films
Wonderful video for a wonderful cheese! Appleby’s Cheshire is part of our new UK cheese lineup.
Max McCalman’s Especially Healthy Favorites
In this collection we derive an excellent grouping of nutrients that are offered in different cheese types. These cheeses offer a good abundance of these nutrients in large part because they are crafted from unpasteurized (read: uncompromised) milk. With this fine grouping of cheeses you will enjoy some of the best cheeses in our caves now, not only delicious but also extremely nutritious. These cheeses appear in our Cheese & Wine 201 seminar here at the Artisanal Cheese Center.
Ticklemore
Country Great Britain
Milk Type Goat
Cheese Type Pasteurized
Wine Sauvignon Blanc
A pasteurized goat milk cheese from Devon, England. The curds are lightly scalded then the cheese is pressed into a basket-shaped mold. Ticklemore has a natural rind, a firm moist texture, and a creamy mild flavor. The cheese pairs well with most white wines and sparkling wines.
Berkswell
Country Great Britain
Milk Type Sheep
Cheese Type Firm
Wine Syrah
Berkswell, easily identifiable by its brown, basket-textured rind and flying-saucer shape, boasts savory, fruity flavors and a compact, often crumbly texture. Pair this cheese with Syrah, a sweet white such as Riesling, or your favorite glass of whiskey.
Westcombe Cheddar
Country Great Britain
Milk Type Cow
Cheese Type Semi-Firm
Wine Chardonnay
Hailing from Somerset, England and cultivated under the strict regulations of the “Artisan Somerset Cheddar Praesidium”; full of aromas and flavors reminiscent of the countryside. Its open-air aging process creates a thistle-like quality similar to that of dried grass as well as flavors and aromas abounding with overtones of potato. Over the course of its minimum eleven-month-long maturation process, Westcombe achieves a texture of rich cream coagulated and cheddared into its characteristic firmness. Pair Westcombe with a fine British ale or wines such as Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel, Gamay, or even Port.
Shropshire Blue, Colston Bassett
Country Great Britain
Milk Type Cow
Cheese Type Blue
Wine Sauternes
A cow milk blue cheese from the United Kingdom, technically a cross between Stilton and Cheshire. While generally creamier and less nutty than Stilton, is sometimes stronger as well. Pair Shropshire Blue with desert wines or Port.
Appleby’s Cheshire
Country Great Britain
Milk Type Cow
Cheese Type Hard
Wine Sauvignon Blanc
The oldest and most often imitated cheese in England! Made from cow milk, its texture is firm but moist and a little crumbly, and it has a pleasing full-bodied tang. Cheshire is frequently served with preserves or jam, and also pairs well with Sauvignon Blanc.
