SPOTLIGHT ON CORRA LINN, OUR AWARD-WINNING SHEEP’S MILK CHEESE
Corra Linn is made using a cheddar-style recipe that we’ve been refining for years with the help of cheesemaker Val Bines. After warming the milk and adding starter cultures, we wait for the pH to drop before adding rennet. These days we use a vegetable rennet—importing lamb rennet from France became impossible after Brexit.
Sheep’s milk sets very quickly because of its high casein content, often in under 20 minutes. Once set, the curd is cut into cubes and slowly scalded by hand, stirring gently to separate it from the whey and reduce the moisture.
When the whey is drained, the curds are cut into blocks, stacked and left to retain their warmth and develop acidity. Once they reach the right level, they go through the curd mill, are salted, then pressed into moulds. After pressing, the young cheeses are dipped briefly in very hot water to seal them, brushed with Supernature rapeseed oil, and wrapped in muslin before pressing again.
The cheeses mature slowly on wooden shelves at 10–12°C. We turn them weekly at first, then every fortnight, rubbing down the rinds as they develop. Some batches ripen faster than others, so we grade every cheese before deciding when it’s ready. Corra Linn is usually aged between 8 and 18 months, depending on how it develops.
You’ll often find it on our menus at the Barn—our pork burgers are a favourite, served with a slice of Corra Linn on top.
Corra Linn won a Super Gold at the 2024 World Cheese Awards—an achievement we’re very proud of.
Try some Corra Linn for yourself ↓
