Lincolnshire Poacher (Alford, Lincolnshire)

The Fens are not an obvious choice for cheesemaking, since the land is mostly arable. Simon and Tim Jones’ farm is situated at the southern-most part of the Lincolnshire Wolds where the land has a little more character other than the usual flat vista. The chalky, limey soil is a definite plus for the flavour of the cheese; this is counteracted by the fact that rainfall is low in this part of England, signifying that the quality of the grass in summer is not great. Consequently, cheesemaking takes place between mid-autumn and late spring when the rainfall is greater, and the smaller quantities of summer milk are sold to the main milk distributor.