Martini Wensleydale? That’s crackers, Gromit!
IT’S enough to make Wallace and Gromit choke on their favourite brand of cheese – supermarket chain Aldi is offering Wensleydale infused with a range of cocktails.
The animated film stars are huge fans of the traditional North Yorkshire cheese, but experts say its milky, crumbly texture makes it ideal for blending with flavourings including espresso martini, pink gin and raspberry, and spiced rum and honey.
None of the Aldi cheeses actually contains alcohol. The German-owned budget supermarket describes its gin version as ‘a unique and perfectly crafted balance of natural sweetness, vibrance from raspberries and the irresistible hint of junipers’.
The rum version is ‘a celebratory combination of Jamaican rum and warming cinnamon and nutmeg spices’, while the espresso martini, pictured left, is a fusion ‘of unique flavours, combining this wonderful Wensleydale cheese with a rich coffee liqueur and vodka’.
It is thought Wensleydale was first produced in the 13th Century by monks using a recipe based on sheep’s milk. In the early 1990s, however, sales had fallen so low that production in the last dairy in Wensleydale itself was at risk.
But after featuring in two Wallace and Gromit hit films – A Grand Day Out and A Close Shave – it enjoyed a huge boost in popularity, with cheese connoisseur Wallace frequently mentioning Wensleydale as his favourite, and even flying to the Moon in the hope of finding it.
The Wensleydale Creamery, the only company entitled to market its cheese as Yorkshire Wensleydale, produces a Wallace and Gromit traditional truckle – shaped like a barrel.
A company spokeswoman confirmed that it has supplied Aldi with ‘cocktail cheeses’. She said ‘We’re big fans of mixing rum, gin and vodka with our cheese. As much as we’re proud of our rich heritage and timehonoured recipes, we also understand that we cannot rest on our laurels so we champion innovation.
‘Year on year we launch limited-edition flavours that follow food trends, although we’re not sure what Wallace would have to say about this.’
IT is hailed by its creators as the world’s smelliest cheese.
Now the aptly named Minger is about to hit Scotland’s supermarket shelves.
Five years after The Scottish Mail on Sunday first revealed that a Highland cheesemaker had produced a cheese more pungent than any other, supermarket chain Aldi has finally decided to let customers try it for themselves – and it is sure to divide opinion.
Cheese maker Rory Stone, of Highland Fine Cheeses, in Tain, Ross-shire, explained that while some people are put off by the smell, the flavour of his specialist brie has won high praise.
He said: ‘The Minger smells meaty, unctuous, cabbagey. There’s nothing subtle here and no nice way to describe the smell – it’s simply bad. Too many people have told me they bought one from our shop, then stuck it in the car and driven away.
‘But as little as 20 minutes later nobody wants to go back into the car because the smell is awful.
‘But it’s all aroma; the flavour is a very different experience. At best it’s moreish, melts on the tongue with a full, rounded umami taste.’
Mr Stone is delighted that a major retailer is willing to sell his award-winning product.
Last night, he said: ‘Finally a major multiple has taken a chance and Aldi have decided to give Minger a punt.
‘Aldi have dedicated a huge resource to regional buying, they have a full team in Scotland and that is paying dividends.’
The Minger is a ewe’s milk brie from sheep on the Black Isle and Caithness and, like most bries, has a harder rind and a soft, gooey middle.
Unlike most bries, the Minger’s outer layer is a distinctive orange colour, which is where the powerful odour comes from – the result of being washed in a Brevibacterium and then being left to mature for two months.
Some years ago, Mr Stone was asked if it could be called something else when high-end retailers did not want to stock it on account of the off-putting name.
Waitrose was concerned the name ‘might upset some customers’, while Paxton & Whitfield also asked to change it, claiming it would be unable to sell it to a Michelin-starred restaurant or a customer in Chelsea.
Mr Stone said: ‘It’s showing up the UK multiples that are being a bit prissy, scared of names and not prepared to take a risk. It’s a very tasty, award-winning Scottish cheese.
‘I would say hats off to Aldi, they are prepared to take a risk during the two weeks of their Scottish food fortnight.
‘We’re very excited they are going to try it out and hope beyond hope that it’s a success story.’
The Minger will be on sale in Aldi stores from September 2, priced £1.89 per 250g pack.
Graham Nicolson, group buying director at Aldi Scotland, said: ‘We are proud to be the first and only Scottish supermarket to stock Minger cheese.’