A firm, smooth, velvet texture with a medium, mellow flavour.

Kevin and Alison Blunt live on a small holding near Lewes in East Sussex. They have three sons and have been making Golden Cross for over nine years, enjoying success at a number of cheese competitions. Originally Kevin studied Biochemistry and Alison, Human Biology, but like many of us they were looking for the 'good life'. With limited funds, they were able to buy a basic small holding in East Sussex and started out with just a few goats and egg laying hens. Unfortunately the small holding did not include a house, so they had to make do with a caravan for the first two years. The cheese was developed by Kevin, Alison and Regis Dussartre, who was making cheese locally. When Regis announced his retirement from cheese making the Blunts' herd of goats had grown and was producing enough milk to start making cheese on a small scale. Together the three of them developed the recipe for Golden Cross and Kevin and Alison have since become expert cheesemakers.

Based on the Saint Maure recipe, it is made from unpasteurised milk, has a coating of ash and uses the same moulds and equipment, but this is where the similarity ends. Kevin and Alison have made some slight changes which make Golden Cross a unique cheese. It does not have the characteristic straw running through the centre (Alison tells me that the Environmental Health officers would have difficulty in accepting straw in a cheese). The softer Saint Maure needs the straw to keep the cheese together but the Golden Cross is slightly firmer and thus, a little more robust. Golden Cross is suitable for vegetarians unlike Saint Maure.

The Golden Cross is ready to eat 10 to 14 days after making and can be matured for a further 4 weeks, its texture becoming harder and dryer. Each cheese weights approximately 250g reducing to 200g when mature. It is available both ashed and plain throughout the year, but supplies are very limited in the autumn and winter months.

The cheese is excellent on a cheese board as well as being versatile in the kitchen - see the recipe section.