Cheese & Crackers and preserves are an enduring staple of British cuisine. They are loved by us all for their easy availability to sustain and thoroughly enjoy. Here are three simple pairings that we wholeheartedly endorse. They include our crackers, British cheeses and Rosebud Preserves jam rather than the more familiar savoury condiments.
Peter’s Yard Rye & Charcoal Sourdough Crackers, Sinodun Hill, Rosebud Preserves Apricot & Vanilla Jam.
Our Rye & Charcoal Sourdough Crackers are the only recipe in the range that uses butter, which as a result, gives them a wonderfully rich texture. They work well with lighter cheeses, such as Sinodun Hill. The colour of the crackers is really striking against the colour of the cheese and the golden hues of sun ripened apricots in Rosebud Preserves Apricot & Vanilla Jam.
Rachel Norton and Fraser Yarrow left their city life after a chance reading of a Woman & Home magazine article about Goat’s milk cheesemaking. They moved to Oxfordshire and now, with their herd of 130 Anglo-Nubian Goats, make the award-winning raw milk Sinodun Hill.
Sourdough crackers
Sinodun Hill is fresh, acidic and has zesty lemon notes. Also, it has a structured and delicate earthiness to the rind. The texture is fluffy on first bite and then breaks down to coat your mouth with a silky, double cream finish.
Rosebud Apricot & Vanilla Jam has an incredible perfumed roundness of flavour from the vanilla and ripe fruit. The gentle aromatic notes round off the acidity and minerality in the cheese without overpowering the sweet dairy notes and earthiness. It’s a cheesecake mouthful that speaks of long summer evenings with a chilled glass of perfumed Riesling.
Peter’s Yard Fig & Spelt Sourdough Crackers, Sparkenhoe Blue and Rosebud Preserves Blackberry & Sloe Jam.
Our Fig & Spelt Sourdough Crackers are made with whole pieces of fig and honey. These sweet notes work perfectly with the saltiness of a blue cheese like Sparkenhoe Blue and Rosebud’s deeply fruity Blackberry & Sloe Jam.
Sparkenhoe Blue is made by Will Clarke, whose mother Jo makes the famous Sparkenhoe Red Leicester. It has a whiter curd and an almost aquamarine blue marbling. Although it looks very similar, it cannot legally be called a Stilton because it is made from raw milk.
Sparkenhoe Blue has a lovely curdy tang which is unusual in blue cheese. It is almost yogurt- like and pairs beautifully with Rosebud Preserves Blackberry & Sloe Gin Jam. The sweet, acidic blackberries with the boozy kick of festive sloe gin add balance against the yogurt and earth of the cheese.
Peter’s Yard Original Sourdough Crackers, Westcombe Cheddar and Rosebud Preserves Somerset cider brandy Pear & Brandy Jam.
Our Original Sourdough Crackers have a subtle, malty flavour as well as a sourdough tang. They work well with hard and mellow cheeses like Westcombe Cheddar. In addition, they work brilliantly at complementing the flavour of cheddar, enhanced by the natural sweetness of Rosebud Preserves Somerset cider brandy Pear & Brandy Jam.
Westcombe Dairy is run by the father and son team of Richard and Tom Calver. Richard runs the farm and Tom is the cheese chief. The flavour is earthy, singing of pasture and the complexity of the Somerset soil.
Cider and cheddar are a classic and traditional West Country pairing, so many farms would have made both. The pear is also from the same Pomoideae family as apple and so they share many of the same flavours. The English Conference pears in this jam are richer, riper and fruitier. In combination with the gentle kick of the brandy they make an exquisite pairing with Westcombe Cheddar.
Sourdough crackers and crispbreads
Our hand-baked sourdough crackers and crispbreads are the perfect accompaniment to artisan cheeses, cured meats and dips.
