Gordon Zola's Cheese Files: #1 Flower Marie

It was a matter of minutes before Cambridge Analytica’s algorithms sniffed out Bury the Cheese. Within moments of accepting the position of chief (only) cheese critic, my online history was no doubt being scraped for evidence of dairy-based brand preferences by a hoard of cheese-bots operating from an anonymous warehouse outside Chiswick. Rest assured, they will find nothing. I have adopted the persona of Gordon Zola to protect my anonymity and allow me to bring you cheese reviews of the utmost independence and integrity. So let’s cut to the cheese and get started with my first review …

Flower Marie is a delicate little artisanal number made from unpasteurized sheep's milk by Kevin and Alison Blunt of the Golden Cross Cheese at their Greenacres Farm near Lewes, Sussex. The name Flower Marie is inspired from the Corsican sheep cheese, 'Fleur de Maquis', now an obvious subject for some food tourism during my forthcoming trip to said island this summer.

The cheese presents itself as a wrinkled, rinded square, but a cut through the centre reveals a chalky ovoid suspended in a gooey matrix of the more aged portion. It has a fresh-mushroom smell and a citrusy taste. I like a little aromatic rind in the mouth too, but that might be a bit ‘second-hand bookshop’ for some. This is a quintessential Spring cheese. I’d pair it with a bone dry white, something like a Picpoul de Pinet, and a knife and fork. There’s no place for a cracker here – this is an ‘outdoors in April’ kind of cheese, not port and stilton by the fire.

I purchased this cheese from Mellis Cheese in Edinburgh (which is likely to feature fairly prominently in future reviews). It's a fairly expensive fromage but a sliver goes a long way so don't be shy in asking them to cut a bit for you - just beware its tendency to ooze into a puddle when out of the fridge and get it home quick.

Oh, and I was pleased to note that Mellis have finally ditched their plastic bags for paper ones :-)