Ogleshield is a washed rind cheese made with cow’s milk in North Cadbury, in Somerset, by Jamie Montgomery and Tim Griffey. It is the result of Jamie’s decision to transform the milk of his herd of Jerseys into cheese, milk which was until then exclusively sold for drinking. In fact, unlike the milk of the Friesian-Holstein cows used to make Montgomery’s Cheddar, the milk of a Jersey cow presents several challenges to the cheesemaker, the most important of which are its high fat content and large fat globules. While fat is an important component of cheese, high levels can impede the formation of a well-structured curd and make drainage difficult.

Ogleshield is the only cheese made exclusively from Jersey cow’s milk that we sell at Neal’s Yard Dairy. Unlike Montgomery’s Cheddar, Ogleshield is a relatively quick cheese to make, characterised by a low acidity and pliant paste. Initially, the cheese was called ‘Jersey Shield’ and had a natural rind composed of greyish-green moulds. William Oglethorpe, at the time senior cheese-maturer at Neal’s Yard Dairy, subsequently developed a method to mature Ogleshield that suited it better: washing the cheeses with a brine solution. In recognition of William’s help, the name of the cheese was adapted to incorporate his surname.

Milk: Pasteurised Cow’s Milk, farm’s own milk

Coagulant: Animal Rennet

Additional information