Roquefort is recognised as the Cheese of Kings and King of French cheese. Under strict AOC regulations all cheese bearing the famous name must be made from unpastuerised  ewe’s milk collected from the Lacaune breed in the Aveyron region and the Carles family is one of the smallest and most respected of all producers. It was Jacques Carles who helped Will overturn the Australian Roquefort ban way back in 2005 and we are delighted to continue this family link with the appropriately named ‘Le Roi’ Roquefort. Produced by Jacques’ daughter Delphine this cheese is the only Roquefort which is now entirely handmade using traditional old school methods passed down over generations. According to Delphine patience, empathy and respect are essential to ensure Roquefort reflects a genuine taste of place. In keeping with her family tradition cheesemaking begins in the afternoon using fresh raw ewe’s milk collected that morning from fifteen small farms. The late start is to ensure the natural flora and microbes in the ‘live’ milk actively are not compromised by cold storage and will contribute to the development of flavour and texture without the excessive use of commercial starter cultures. At the hooping stage a secret combination of Pencillium Roqueforti moulds cultivated on large carbon-crusted wood-fired loaves is sprinkled into the fresh hand ladled curds. The young cheese is then left to drain very slowly over two days in humidity-controlled rooms before being hand-salted and transported to the village of Roquefort for piercing and maturation. The family caves are naturally cooled by limestone fissures known as ‘fleurines’ that run beneath the crypt of the village church, and the damp microclimate found here is responsible for the unique steely blue moulds that grow inside the cheese. What makes this Roquefort extra special is that Delphine is the only producer to mature Roquefort the old-fashioned way directly on ancient oak shelving, rather than in plastic crates. As you would expect every batch of this remarkable artisan cheese is slightly different depending on the season and maturation period.  It has been carefully selected for its soft creamy texture and balance of rich, sweet, salty savoury flavours. It truly doesn’t get any better than this– enjoy!