Wigmore Cheese Guide: History & Pairings

The Ultimate Guide to Wigmore Cheese

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a cheese that's as milky, butter-rich and smooth as Wigmore cheese! The British interpretation of Brie and Camembert, Wigmore has a delightfully sweet and fruity flavour that also allows some unexpected nutty caramel flavours to come through, with none of the bitterness afterwards.

Perfectly mild, Wigmore is cheese-making at its most masterful. And it's perfect for those wanting something subtle and relaxed compared to the robust flavours of other, similar cheeses. 

If you’re looking to learn more about wonderful Wigmore cheese, then you’re in the right place as we’ll dive into its interesting background and give you all the information you need on what wine and food pairings will work best.

Wigmore Cheese History

Wigmore cheese was created by, you guessed it, the Wigmores! Anne Wigmore started making cheese after working as a microbiologist at the National Institute for Research in Dairying (NIRD). In 1984, she decided to branch out and embark on a solo adventure, using everything she had learned, to make her own cheese. Anne and her husband, Andy, then founded Village Maid Dairy in a building at the end of their garden in Berkshire and began developing cheese recipes.

In the early 1990s, Wigmore cheese was born! Anne, with her highly technical cheese-making knowledge, used traditional methods for hand-washed curd cheese and replaced some of the whey with water, to minimise the acidity and allow the cheese to retain its distinctive smooth texture, to create the award-winning Wigmore cheese we all know and love today. 

What you Need to Know About Wigmore Cheese

Here are all of the finer details you’ll want to know before buying a block of Wigmore cheese:

• Type of cheese - Wigmore is a very soft cheese with a creamy, velvety texture that melts beautifully without becoming too runny.  
• Milk - it’s made from unpasteurised sheep’s milk
• Strength - on the strength scale, it scores a 2 out of 10, making it a very mild cheese. 
• Hardness - on the hardness scale, it scores a 3 out of 10.
• Region - Wigmore cheese is made in Berkshire.
• Vegetarian - Wigmore cheese is suitable for vegetarians. 

Wigmore Cheese Wine Pairings

Because of its fruity and mild flavours, Wigmore cheese pairs best with white wine as it works well as both an aperitif to enjoy before dinner and as a dessert too. We particularly enjoy sipping on the Distant Noises Chardonnay with this cheese since it’s a great all-rounder and delivers citrusy and zesty flavours that can give a burst of energy to Wigmore cheese.

Wigmore Cheese Accompaniments

When creating a cheese board, you’ll definitely need some snacks to accompany Wigmore cheese. Peter's Yard Original Crackers topped with Wigmore, and Wild Cloudberry Jam is a perfect, mouth-watering pairing. You can enjoy it with fruit, such as pears and walnuts too. Or, if you fancy yourself a baker, it’s ideal for baking into a white chocolate cheesecake for the ultimate indulgence.

Can I Eat the Rind of Wigmore Cheese?

Yes, you absolutely can eat the rind of Wigmore cheese, and we highly recommend it! Natural, earthy with a slight mushroom flavour, the Wigmore rind is where you’ll get some stronger savoury flavours that complement the rest of the cheese in the best way.

How to Store Wigmore Cheese?

Wigmore cheese is best when stored in the fridge and must ideally be consumed within 5 days of delivery. But, it’s important to remember that when taking it out of the fridge, you should leave it to warm to room temperature before eating, so you can experience all that it has to offer.

Want cheese delivered to your door every month? Choose a cheese subscription, for yourself, a friend, or both, and kick start your cheese adventure.