I am installed in the village of Saughall, a few miles outside Chester, right on the Welsh border. Although the village is small, they manage to hold a Farmer’s Market at the local hall every Friday morning. I popped down this morning to see what was on offer.
Thankfully, the stalls fit into the tiny hall as it was foggy and perishingly cold outside, where the vegetable grower and fishmonger were set up. Inside, there were two bakeries and stalls selling organic Welsh beef and potatos, a variety of ice creams, pies and tarts, another meat seller and a cheese shop. That’s it – small but competently servicing the needs of the village.
From the cheese stall, we bought a wedge of Mrs Bourne’s Mature Chesire. Cheshire is a crumbly cheese that is a specilaity of Chesire and North Wales. This cheese was sold to us by the factory owner and is all hand made. Whilst the name includes ‘mature’, it is actually quite a mild flavour, similiar to a very good quality crumbly feta, although less salty. It shouldn’t be confused with a mature cheddar which is much creamier and dense. We are already half way through our edge of White Chesire.
Cheese is ‘big’ in Chester. They have two specialist cheese shops within a block of one another, very conveniently located beside my bus stop. I stand and stare at the window display every day but have so far only managed to sample the Colston Bassett Stilton, ‘A mature Stilton, rich and creamy and the only hand ladele Stilton left in the country’. As Anthony does not enjoy blue or strong cheeses, this is my chance to buy some small, good quality serves and indulge my tastes. Great with oat cakes (biscuits).
God, you do love the cheese, don't you – you're regular Wallace! Sean