The Trethowan Brothers and the Jones brothers

I was lucky enough to attend an unusual cheese event last week. The Trethowan Brothers (Pitchfork Cheddar) and the Jones brothers (Lincolnshire Poacher cheese) have been running an experiment. One farm is in Somerset, one in Lincolnshire – different grass, different cows, different milk. The Trethowans went to Lincolnshire and the Jones’ went to Somerset and each made their own recipe cheeses using the milk and maturing rooms of the others’ dairy. Last week was the great ‘reveal’ of ‘Poachfork’. We gathered @thekernelbrewery to taste the different cheeses accompanied by some truly excellent beer! After being led through a tasting it was evident to everyone, the power of ‘affinage’. (Affinage – the art of maturing cheese). Where and how the cheeses had been stored over the year or so they were maturing had made such a vast difference to the texture, colour and taste of the cheeses. Although both were recognisable as themselves (the Pitchfork was still a Pitchfork and the Poacher very much still a Poacher) there was a marked difference in the Poacher made and stored in the Pitchfork dairy with its maturing rooms alive with the friendly bacteria of the Pitchfork cheddars and vice versa. Thank you @trethowanbrothers and @lincolnshirepoacher for a fabulous and educational evening.