The British Cheesemaking industry was until very recently, almost extinct. Whilst some of our favourite British cheeses have been around for centuries, many have only been in production for a relatively short time.

One such Cheese is Stinking Bishop. It's said to be derived from a cheese once made by Cistercian monks in the village of Dymock, in Gloucestershire where it is still made by Charles Martell, so it’s an unusual example of a true British soft cheese with a both a short and long local history. It gets its name (and its distinctive smell) from Stinking Bishop pear perry. The cheese is washed in this perry every 4 weeks during the maturing process.

Charles Martell, who moved to Laurel Farm, Dymock in 1972 had a keen interest in the Gloucester breed of cattle, and at that time, only 68 cows remained in the entire world. Charles with the help of Patrick Rance, bought as many as he could, revived the Gloucester Cattle Society, of which he is now the patron, and set about making cheese with the milk. He still makes both single and double Gloucester and Stinking Bishop.

Stinking Bishop cheese is washed in Stinking Bishop Perry during the maturing process, giving it a distinctive smell and flavour.

Stinking Bishop in the Media

Most people have heard of Stinking Bishop as a result of its inclusion in the 2005 Wallace and Gromit film, The Curse of Were-Rabbit, where the cheese was used to revive Gromit from the dead. Four years later, it was back in the news, being used as a cheese toothpaste on Channel 4's Big Brother.

Production

Stinking Bishop is produced in Dymock in Gloucestershire. It is a soft washed-rind cheese, maturing in approximately 4 months. Each 2kg wheel is approximately 20cm in diameter and 4cm high. Every 4 weeks, the cheese is washed in Stinking Bishop perry, creating an orangey-grey rind. No salt is added to the cheese until after it has been removed from its mould to maximise the moisture content for a smooth creamy texture.