Frederic Melton
Stinking Bishop cheese is an artisanal, handmade cheese produced by Charles Martell and Son at Hunts Court Farm in Gloucestershire, England. It is known for its strong odour, which has been likened to old socks or a rugby club changing room. The cheese's distinctive smell is the result of its unique production process, which involves washing the rind in perry, a type of pear cider made from local Stinking Bishop pears. This washing process contributes to the cheese's pungent aroma and brownish or orange rind. Despite its strong smell, Stinking Bishop cheese has a surprisingly mild and creamy flavour with undertones of bacon and a slightly sweet aftertaste.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Smell | Old socks, rugby club changing room, mouldy |
| Colour | White-yellow to beige, orange to grey rind |
| Shape | Wheels |
| Weight | 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs) |
| Diameter | 20 centimetres (7.9 in) |
| Depth | 4 centimetres (1.6 in) |
| Production | 20 tonnes per year |
| Texture | Soft, squidgy, gooey, runny |
| Rind | Sticky, brownish |
| Taste | Milder than the smell, mild vinegar, creamy, bacon, sweet aftertaste |
| Ingredients | Pasteurized cow's milk, pear cider, perry, Stinking Bishop Pears, vegetarian rennet |
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What You'll Learn
Stinking Bishop is a washed-rind cheese
The process of washing the rind in perry contributes to the cheese's distinctive pungent aroma and brownish colour. The cheese's paste varies in colour from white-yellow to beige, with an ageing period lasting six to eight weeks. During the ripening process, the cheese is immersed in perry every four weeks while it matures, which gives it its strong smell. The moulds used to shape the cheese are made of beech wood, which may help the cheese retain its shape while still allowing it to retain some moisture.
Stinking Bishop has been crowned the smelliest cheese in the UK, with a smell likened to old socks or a rugby club changing room. The cheese has a soft and creamy texture, with a mild flavour that has been described as having undertones of bacon and a slightly sweet aftertaste. Despite its strong aroma, the taste of Stinking Bishop is surprisingly mild, and it has gained popularity globally due to its distinctive smell and flavour.
The cheese is moulded into wheels weighing approximately 2 kilograms, with a diameter of 20 centimetres and a depth of 4 centimetres. Only about twenty tonnes of Stinking Bishop are produced each year, and it is sold in artisan food stores, delicatessens, and select department stores across the UK. Stinking Bishop is an artisanal, handmade cheese and is not marketed through supermarkets.
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It's made with pear cider (perry)
Stinking Bishop Cheese, crafted in Gloucestershire, England, is renowned for its pungent aroma, which has earned it the title of the UK's stinkiest cheese. The cheese's distinctive odour is not merely a byproduct of its creation but a carefully curated aspect of its character. Central to this process is the use of pear cider, specifically a variety known as perry.
Perry, a traditional alcoholic beverage of the Gloucestershire region, is crafted from the local Stinking Bishop pear. This pear, named after a rather unsavoury character known as Mr. Bishop, is noted for its high sugar content, which lends itself to rapid fermentation and a robust reputation. The resulting perry is not just any pear cider, but a key ingredient that imparts Stinking Bishop Cheese with its trademark aroma.
The process of creating Stinking Bishop Cheese involves washing the rind of the cheese in perry during the ripening process. This rind-washing technique is repeated every four weeks while the cheese matures, ensuring a thorough permeation of the perry's essence. The perry not only contributes to the cheese's smell but also influences its appearance, with the reddish hue of the perry imparting a brownish cast to the cheese's rind.
The combination of the perry's reddish hue and the moulds' beech wood material may contribute to the final colour of the cheese, which ranges from white-yellow to beige, with an orange to grey or brownish rind. The perry's role in the cheese's maturation process also affects its texture, resulting in a semi-soft or squidgy consistency. The overall effect is a cheese that tantalises both the sense of smell and sight, even before it is tasted.
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The cheese was created in the 1980s/1990s
Stinking Bishop cheese is known for its strong, unpleasant odour. The cheese is said to smell like old socks, a rugby club changing room, or even a "cat litter tray". The distinctive aroma is due to the ripening process, during which the cheese is rind-washed in perry, a type of pear cider made from local Stinking Bishop pears. The cheese was created by Charles Martell, a pear and Gloucestershire cow enthusiast, sometime in the 1980s or 1990s. Martell had previously made Single Gloucester cheese and helped it obtain PDO status in 1997.
Stinking Bishop is an artisanal, handmade cheese produced by Charles Martell and Son at Hunts Court Farm in Dymock, Gloucestershire. It is made from the milk of Old Gloucester cattle, a breed that was once endangered. Martell bought many of the surviving cows and began producing cheese to promote interest in the breed. The cheese is moulded into wheels weighing approximately 2 kilograms, with a diameter of 20 centimetres and a depth of 4 centimetres.
The unique process of washing the cheese rind in perry contributes to its strong smell and distinctive appearance. The perry itself is made from Stinking Bishop pears, which are named after a local drunkard named Bishop. The cheese is immersed in perry every four weeks during maturation, resulting in a mouldy exterior and a pungent smell. Interestingly, the taste of the cheese is described as much milder than its aroma, with a creamy texture and a tang similar to mild vinegar.
The cheese gained popularity after being featured in the 2005 animated film "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit", where it was used by Gromit to revive Wallace. The increased demand for Stinking Bishop cheese led to a 500% rise in production. It has also been featured on various TV shows, including "Bizarre Foods" and "Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention". Stinking Bishop was even crowned the smelliest cheese in the UK by a panel of expert judges, including a perfumer and a journalist.
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It's been called the UK's stinkiest cheese
Stinking Bishop is an artisanal, handmade cheese produced since 1972 by Charles Martell and Son at Hunts Court Farm in Dymock, Gloucestershire. Martell, a pear and Gloucestershire cow enthusiast, began making the cheese to promote interest in the endangered Old Gloucester cattle breed. The cheese is moulded into wheels weighing around 2 kilograms, with a diameter of 20 centimetres and a depth of 4 centimetres. Only about 20 tonnes are produced each year, and it can be found in around 130 stockists across the UK, including Harrods and Selfridges.
The name "Stinking Bishop" comes from the pears used to make the perry, which were supposedly named after an unsavoury character called Mr. Bishop. However, some sources claim that the pears were actually named after the perry, and not the other way around. Either way, the name certainly fits, as the cheese is known for its strong smell.
Stinking Bishop rose to fame after it was featured in the 2005 animated film "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit", where it was used by Gromit to revive Wallace. The cheese has also been sampled by TV host Andrew Zimmern on the show "Bizarre Foods", and was crowned King of Cheese by Claudia Winkleman and Chris Evans in a 2011 Channel 4 show.
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Stinking Bishop has a mild flavour
Stinking Bishop cheese is known for its strong odour, which has been compared to old socks or a rugby club changing room. The cheese is washed in perry, a type of pear cider made from local Stinking Bishop pears, which gives it its distinctive smell. Despite its pungent aroma, Stinking Bishop has a surprisingly mild flavour. The cheese itself is soft and creamy, with a tang similar to mild vinegar. It has a fat content of 48% and a soft texture. The colour of the cheese ranges from white-yellow to beige, with an orange to grey rind.
The cheese is produced by Charles Martell and Son in Dymock, Gloucestershire, England. Martell is a pear and Gloucestershire cow enthusiast, and Stinking Bishop cheese brings together his two interests. The cheese is made from the milk of Old Gloucester cattle, a breed that was once endangered. Martell bought many of the surviving cows and began producing cheese to promote interest in the breed.
The process of making Stinking Bishop cheese is unique. The cheese's rind is washed in perry, which contributes to its strong smell and brownish colour. The cheese is moulded into wheels of approximately 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) each and is turned regularly to ensure even maturation. The ageing period for Stinking Bishop cheese lasts six to eight weeks, during which time the cheese develops its distinctive odour and flavour.
Stinking Bishop cheese has gained recognition for its smell, being crowned the smelliest cheese in the UK in 2009. However, despite its strong aroma, the cheese is known for its mild and creamy taste. The contrast between the powerful smell and the gentle flavour is what makes Stinking Bishop a unique and intriguing cheese. It has become a popular delicacy, with stockists across the UK and even globally, despite its limited production quantity.
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Frequently asked questions
Stinking Bishop cheese is known for its pungent aroma, often described as smelling like old socks or a rugby club changing room. The strong smell comes from the perry, a type of pear cider used to wash the rind during the ripening process.
The distinctive odour of Stinking Bishop cheese is a result of the ripening process, specifically the rind-washing technique used during maturation. The cheese is immersed in perry, a traditional pear cider made from local Stinking Bishop pears, every four weeks as it ages. This process contributes to the strong smell and unique flavour of the cheese.
Despite its strong smell, Stinking Bishop cheese has a surprisingly mild and creamy flavour with a tang similar to mild vinegar and undertones of bacon. The cheese itself is soft and creamy, with a beige to white-yellow colour.
The name "Stinking Bishop" comes from the Stinking Bishop pear, which is used to make the perry cider that the cheese is washed in. The pear, in turn, was named after a local drunkard with the surname Bishop, known for his unsavoury character.
Stinking Bishop cheese is an artisanal, handmade product and is not typically sold in supermarkets. However, as of 2017, it had over 130 stockists across the UK, including artisan food stores, delicatessens, and high-end department stores like Harrods and Selfridges.
