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Stinking Bishop is a soft, washed-rind cheese made with full-fat pasteurised cow's milk and vegetarian rennet. It was first produced in 1972 by Charles Martell and Son at Hunts Court Farm in Gloucestershire, England. The cheese is washed in perry, a type of pear cider, made from the local Stinking Bishop pear variety, which gives the cheese its distinctive odour and flavour. Stinking Bishop has a strong following among cheese lovers for its unique characteristics and is known for its strong smell and soft, creamy flavour.
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What You'll Learn
- Stinking Bishop is made from full-fat pasteurised cow's milk and vegetarian rennet
- The cheese is rind-washed in perry—a pear cider
- The perry is made from the local Stinking Bishop pear, which lends the cheese its name
- The cheese was created by Charles Martell and Son in Gloucestershire, England
- Stinking Bishop is a soft, washed-rind cheese
Stinking Bishop is made from full-fat pasteurised cow's milk and vegetarian rennet
Stinking Bishop is a soft, washed-rind cheese made from full-fat pasteurised cow's milk and vegetarian rennet. It was first produced in 1972 by Charles Martell and Son at Hunts Court Farm in Dymock, Gloucestershire, in the west of England. The cheese is named after the pear used to make the perry that the cheese is washed in during the maturing process. The Stinking Bishop pear, in turn, was named after a local 19th-century farmer called Frederick Bishop, who was known for his riotous behaviour. For example, he once shot a kettle because it didn't boil quickly enough!
Stinking Bishop is made from the milk of Old Gloucester cattle. By 1972, only 68 heifers of this breed remained in the world. Charles Martell bought many of these cows to produce cheese from their milk and promote interest in the breed. Over time, the number of Gloucester cows began to recover, increasing to around 450 by 2016. However, to make cheese production economically viable, Martell's Gloucester milk needed to be combined and pasteurised with the milk of Friesian cattle from other nearby farms.
The process of making Stinking Bishop involves washing the rind in perry, a type of traditional pear cider made from the local Stinking Bishop pear. This washing process gives the cheese its distinctive "stinking" aroma and contributes to its unique flavour. The cheese is moulded into wheels weighing approximately 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs) each, with a diameter of 20 centimetres (7.9 inches) and a depth of 4 centimetres (1.6 inches). It has a fat content of 48 per cent and is known for its strong smell and soft, creamy texture.
Stinking Bishop has gained worldwide recognition for its unusual name and pungent odour. It was featured in the 2005 animated film "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," where it was used to revive Wallace, further increasing its popularity. The cheese is often described as having a delicate and subtle flavour despite its intense aroma. It is presented in a poplar-wood box and wrapped in waxed paper to preserve its optimum taste.
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The cheese is rind-washed in perry—a pear cider
Stinking Bishop is a washed-rind cheese produced by Charles Martell and Son at Hunts Court Farm, Dymock, Gloucestershire, in the west of England. It was first produced in 1972, although it was not launched until 1994. Charles Martell initially bought the cows to produce cheese from their milk to promote interest in the endangered Old Gloucester breed. The breed has since seen a revival in interest from other farmers, and the overall number of Gloucester cows has increased.
The colour of Stinking Bishop ranges from white-yellow to beige, with an orange to grey rind. It is moulded into wheels weighing 2 kilograms (4.4 lb), 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in diameter, and 4 centimetres (1.6 in) deep. Only about twenty tonnes (44,000 lb) are produced each year. The cheese is presented in a poplar-wood box and tightly wrapped in waxed paper for optimum taste.
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The perry is made from the local Stinking Bishop pear, which lends the cheese its name
Stinking Bishop cheese is made from full-fat pasteurised cow's milk and vegetarian rennet. It is a washed-rind cheese, which means that the rind is washed in a liquid during the maturation process. In the case of Stinking Bishop, the rind is washed in perry, a type of pear cider.
The perry used to wash the rind of Stinking Bishop cheese is made from the local Stinking Bishop pear, which lends the cheese its name. The Stinking Bishop pear is one of approximately 100 varieties of perry pear that are native to Gloucestershire, where Stinking Bishop cheese has been produced by Charles Martell and Son since 1972. The pear was named after a local 19th-century farmer, Frederick Bishop, who was known for his riotous behaviour. For example, he once shot a kettle because it did not boil quickly enough!
The process of washing the rind in perry gives Stinking Bishop cheese its distinctive "stinking" aroma and flavour. The perry contributes to the cheese's meaty aroma and earthy flavour, although the flavour is not as strong as the aroma. The cheese itself has a creamy, smooth, and subtle flavour.
Stinking Bishop cheese is an award-winning, artisanal product, handmade using local ingredients. It has a strong following among cheese lovers for its unique qualities and has even achieved international fame, thanks in part to its appearance in the animated film "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."
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The cheese was created by Charles Martell and Son in Gloucestershire, England
Stinking Bishop cheese was created by Charles Martell and Son in Gloucestershire, England. They have been making cheese at Hunts Court in Gloucestershire for nearly 50 years. Charles Martell first produced his perry-washed rind cheese in 1972 on Laurel Farm, in Dymock, Gloucestershire. The cheese is made with local ingredients and by hand. It is made from the milk of Old Gloucester cattle. By 1972, just 68 heifers of the Old Gloucester breed were left in the world. Charles Martell bought up many of the surviving cows and began to produce cheese from their milk.
The cheese is a washed-rind cheese, which means that during maturation, the affineur washes each wheel in perry. The perry is made from the local Stinking Bishop pear, from which the cheese gets its name. The Stinking Bishop pear was named after a local 19th-century farmer, Frederick Bishop, who was known for his riotous behaviour. For example, he once shot a kettle because it did not boil quickly enough!
Stinking Bishop cheese is a full-fat, soft, pasteurised cow's milk cheese made with vegetarian rennet. It has a distinctive odour and flavour, and a unique "stinking" aroma. The colour ranges from white-yellow to beige, with an orange to grey rind. It is moulded into wheels that weigh 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs) each, 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in diameter, and 4 centimetres (1.6 in) deep.
The cheese was launched in 1994 and has since gained international attention, including from the animated comedy Wallace and Gromit. It is now known worldwide for its strong smell and distinctive rind, with only 20 tonnes produced each year.
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Stinking Bishop is a soft, washed-rind cheese
The cheese gets its name from the pear used to make the perry that the cheese is washed in during the maturing process. The perry is a traditional pear cider from the region. The Stinking Bishop pear, in turn, was named after a local 19th-century farmer, Frederick Bishop, who was known for his riotous behaviour. For example, he once shot a kettle because it did not boil quickly enough!
The colour of Stinking Bishop ranges from white-yellow to beige, with an orange-to-grey rind. It is moulded into wheels weighing 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs), 20 centimetres (7.9 inches) in diameter, and 4 centimetres (1.6 inches) deep. Only about 20 tonnes (44,000 lbs) are produced each year. The cheese is presented in a poplar-wood box and wrapped in waxed paper for optimum taste.
Stinking Bishop is known for its strong smell and distinctive rind, but the cheese itself has a delicate, creamy, and subtle flavour. It has a mousse-like texture and a meaty aroma and earthy flavour. The cheese is best served at room temperature and should be removed from the fridge about an hour before serving.
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Frequently asked questions
Stinking Bishop is a soft, washed-rind cheese made from full-fat pasteurised cow's milk and vegetarian rennet.
Stinking Bishop cheese is washed in perry—a type of pear cider—made from the local Stinking Bishop pear, which gives the cheese its distinctive odour and flavour.
Stinking Bishop is made by Charles Martell & Son in Gloucestershire, England.
