Oxford Blue is a variety and brand ofblue cheese produced inBurford,Oxfordshire, England in 1995 by French baron Robert Pouget in the tradition ofStilton cheese (it was produced in a Stilton dairy) but with a creamier consistency especially when the cheese was allowed to mature.[1] It is a soft and creamy cheese that has tangy, aromatic and spicy qualities. By 2013, around five tonnes were produced monthly.
Oxford Blue is prepared using unpasteurised cow's milk and isripened (aged) for 14 to 16 weeks.[2] Its rind is sticky and wet in texture.[2] The cheese is soft, creamy and moist, has aromatic, tangy and spicy qualities, and has traces of white wine and chocolate in its flavour.[2][3] It has been described as a "French-style English blue" that can be used "as an alternative" toStilton cheese",[2] and as similar toDolcelatte andSt Agur cheeses, with a less strong flavour thanRoquefort or Stilton.[3]
Oxford Blue was created by Frenchbaron Robert Pouget in 1995. It was initially produced byHartington Creamery inDerbyshire until 2009, when the creamery closed, and subsequently inCarmarthenshire, Wales.[2][4] In 2013, efforts began to start producing Oxford Blue at a new, smalldairy inBurford, Oxfordshire, which was developed in a converted barn.[3][4][5] At the Burford site in 2013, Pouget encountered an initial problem of having nowhere to dispose of wastewhey, a byproduct of the cheese's production, which was at around 50,000 litres (11,000 imp gal) each month.[4][6][7] The problem was solved by the introduction of ananaerobic digester to process the whey.[7][6] In April 2013, around fivetonnes of Oxford Blue were produced monthly.[citation needed] In 2015 the cheese was distributed by the Oxford Cheese Company.[8]
