Shropshire Blue is the bright festive cousin of Stilton. Its bright orange color seems appropriate for the fall season, especially Halloween. It's essentially produced the same way as Stilton, except that annatto is added to the recipe making the interior orange. Shropshire Blue is even more luscious and creamy than Stilton.
The story of this cheese dates back to Scotland during the 1920s. Dennis Biggins, who actually made his living grading Cheshire cheese, created the first wheels of Shropshire Blue. Today, the cheese is produced in Nottinghamshire, England by Richard Rowlett and Billy Kevan at Colston Bassett Dairy. The cheese is aged for a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks.
Shropshire Blue pairs excellently with sliced pears, apples, and quince paste. If you're going to snack on this cheese with crackers, I suggest whole wheat crackers to balance out the striking pungency of the cheese. Similar to Stilton, it tastes exquisite with a glass of port. You can find this cheese at many different specialty food stores and cheese shops, namely Zabar's, Artisanal, Formaggio Kitchen, and Whole Foods. It sells for about $30 a pound at most stores.
