Single Gloucester (Smart's)
- Producer
- Old Ley Farm/Smart's Farm
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Gloucestershire
- Size
- 8 oz diameter, 2.75 ins high
- Weight
- 4-8 lbs
- Website
- www.smartsgloucestercheese.com
- Milk
- Cow
- Classification
- Hard
- Rennet
- Vegetable
- Rind
- Natural
The production of Gloucester cheese is centered around the valleys (known as 'Vales') of Gloucester and Berkley, in central England.
Single Gloucester is one of the few cheeses that has attained PDO (name protected) status in the United Kingdom. Requirements for this are that the milk come from the heritage breed of Gloucester cows and that the cheese is produced to the traditional, Single Gloucester recipe within a designated area. Diana Smart's Single Gloucester meets all these criteria.
Traditionally, Single Gloucester would be made on the same farm as Double Gloucester. Single Gloucester was the "house" cheese, whereas Double Gloucester was usually sold at market.
On certain days the milk was skimmed for cream to make butter. When that happened, the skimmed milk would be used to make Single Gloucester. On days when the milk was left whole they would make Double Gloucester.
Smaller, crumblier and milder than the better known Double Gloucester, Single is more economical to make and is produced from the lower fat milk from the evening milking, together with a small amount of whole milk from the following morning's milking.
Flavors of Diana Smart's Single Gloucester are gentle, milky and slightly sweet and vanilla-like, with a cool, clean tang and grassy sub-flavors.
The texture is deliciously light, smooth and slightly crumbly .
