L’Amuse Gouda is our October cheese of the month.

Our Gouda is made in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Beemster Polder in Northern Holland by CONO Cheesemakers, a cooperative set up by farmers from several neighbouring villages in 1901. The cooperative has since grown to 475 dairy farm members and a new dairy is currently being built with the goal of being the “greenest dairy in the world”, championing sustainability in cheesemaking. The cheeses are made using pasteurised milk from Holstein-Friesian cows. The curd is coloured with plant-based annatto, used since the 16th century to give a rich golden hue to the cheese which traditionally indicated that it was made with the best and richest milk. The curds are pressed in moulds for 24 hours then brined for 36 hours before being dried and transferred to the cellars of L’Amuse near Amsterdam for affinage.

We enjoy Gouda with beer and our own Cowdray Ale is a good choice.