Discover the Story and Flavour of Edmund Tew: A Cheese with a Rich Heritage

Every cheese tells a story, and undoubtedly, every cheese needs a name. Take Baron Bigod, for instance. It’s a powerful, regal name that traces back many moons to the 12th century Earl of Norfolk, who owned the land where Fen Farm Dairy now stands. Skipping forward a few centuries to the 19th century, we hear of the cheese, Edmund Tew. Now, it’s not quite the Earl that Baron Bigod was named after, but providing an equally legendary story and, ultimately, the name to the latest addition to Rennet & Rind’s lineup of British cheese.

Now, let me tell you about Edmund Tew, crafted by the talented folks at Blackwood Cheese Company. This cheese captures the essence of French tradition, akin to the celebrated Langres, but with its own unique British twist. It comes from the milk of a wonderfully diverse herd at Common Work Organic Farm in Kent, where over 500 acres of lush, green pasture support a mix of British and Irish cows with each breed providing a diverse range of characteristics of fat, protein and lactic acid essential in the production of this exquisitely evocative cheese. This is the setting where Edmund Tew begins its journey to your palate.

The taste? It's something else. Edmund Tew offers a lush, fudgy texture that explodes with lactic creaminess and sweet milky notes, and all rounded off with a pleasantly tangy finish. The rind itself is a savoury treat, reminiscent of cured meats but with a subtle, intriguing undertone.

Named after Mr Edmund Tew, a chap notorious for cheese theft who was sent to Australia in 1829, this cheese is a nod to temptation itself and while we don’t condone pinching cheese, we get it—good cheese is hard to resist, and Edmund Tew is no exception.

Edmund Tew not only tells the story of its namesake but also pays homage to David Holton’s Australian heritage. David, the man behind Blackwood Cheese Company began his cheese-making adventures in the Yarra Valley before truly finding his stride here in the UK and alongside Tim Jarvis, he’s been transforming milk from Common Work Organic Farm into phenomenal cheeses like ‘Graceburn’ and now Edmund Tew, which are as rich in story as they are in taste.

Next time you visit our shop, let’s chat about Edmund Tew. It’s a conversation starter, packed with history, artisan skill, and a dash of mischief.