Lucy’s July 2026 Cheese of the Month: Eggleston Reserve
‘Eggleston’ made by Jake Goldstein, recently crowned ‘Young Cheesemaker of the Year’ at the 2026 Artisan Cheese awards, is my cheese of the month.
Jake spent over a decade in food and drink owning a cocktail bar and running hospitality experiences. Covid proved to be a turning point and he decided to follow a career in cheese, training with Neal’s Yard Creamery. Jake applied for our New Cheesemakers Grant in 2025 after a long spell making cheese with one of our other grantees, Dean at Monkland Cheese. Jake has established ‘The Primrose Creamery’ within the buildings of The School of Artisan food at Welbeck. This is not Jake’s first cheese – ‘Lindley’ has won awards nationwide and we can buy it regularly at the market from Justin at No. 2 Pound St.
Eggleston is a small round raw cow’s milk cheese washed with annatto to give it a distinctive thin orange slightly pungent orange rind. When it is young it is firm and fresh, with clean bright flavours of lemon zest and cultured cream. As it matures (and this, for me, is where it becomes a truly special cheese) the edges soften to a fudgy consistency bringing flavours of ripe pear, sweet butter and a hint of farmyard straw that reminds me I am eating a truly artisan made cheese. The texture is velvety and that tells me that this cheese is made with love, and the curd has been treated gently and with respect all the way along its journey from the richest, locally sourced milk to this extraordinary little cheese packed with flavour.
The cheese is named after William Eggleston who lost his life in the 1766 Nottingham Cheese Riot – not because he was rioting but because he was trying to protect his cheeses. Jake reflects this protective nature about making cheese and he says “We make cheese led by flavour: bright, rich, deep and shifting with time. Each one helps you reconnect with the land, carrying stories of people and place to share at your table.” Hats off to you Jake, this cheese is a triumph, and at Chiswick Cheese Market we are proud to have played a very small part along your cheese journey.
If that does not sound exciting enough Justin will be bringing all of Jake’s stock of ‘Eggleston Reserve’. This is a carefully matured version of the Eggleston with its own tasting notes. This is a rare cheese indeed and if you are keen to get your hands on this then you’ll need to be early to the market!
What do I pair my Eggleston with? Well, when it is young and firm, I love it in a crisp lettuce salad washed down with a light white wine, but as it matures I enjoy it with a cracker, sweet pears and either a Riesling or even a fruity cider. Come along and see what you think.
