Peter Morgan of Cranborne’s Book and Bucket Cheese Company has just announced the launch of a new cheese, Stowaway – you might say it was literally launched, as the new product has been created specifically for the Queen Anne cruise ship, the latest addition to the Cunard fleet.
Stowaway is the first of two new cheeses, both the results of a collaboration between Peter and Cunard’s development chefs – a second bespoke cheese will join the ship later in the year.
Stowaway is a sheep’s milk cheese, made using a special blend of cultures to create a unique flavour profile fit for this state-of-the-art ship. It was important to have a connection with Cunard’s long history at sea, so Peter has combined this modern blend of cultures with a traditional cheddar-making process. It is finished with the remarkable Blackthorn salt, made by the ancient tower method which is unique to Ayrshire. Finally, the cheese is aged in the Book and Bucket cheese cellars.
The Dorset provenance gives the cheese a terroir that only Cranborne Chase can provide, producing a natural rind that changes through the seasons. The combination of new cultures, natural rind and traditional cheesemaking methods fits perfectly with Queen Anne, who made her inaugural voyage in May, with her naming ceremony scheduled in Liverpool in early June. Stowaway was on board for that maiden voyage, along with two others from the Book and Bucket range, Cranborne Blue and Smoked Blyton.
Peter Morgan founded the Book and Bucket Cheese Company five years ago. When he began making cheese, he sought the advice of people who had more than 120 years experience in the industry between them. Each said the starting point was to “buy some books and read as much as possible. After that it is just bucket science – keep playing until you make something you like!”
And so, in January 2019, with a bucket full of recipes, many ideas and the help of friends, Peter launched The Book and Bucket Cheese Company. He has developed an extensive knowledge of each type of milk, how to perfectly age a cheese, how the right salt can enhance and change a flavour profile, an understanding of the distinctive notes of traditional Cheddar and how to create modern flavours from the cultures.
Peter Morgan is justifiably proud of the Cunard collaboration. He says: ‘Everyone involved in developing this cheese has fallen in love with it.’
