World's smelliest cheese with 'meaty and cabbagey' scent to hit UK supermarkets

03 December 2023 , 22:19

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Rory Stone says the family firm is proud of The Minger

A cheese with a pong so strong it is being claimed that it is the smelliest in the world could soon be gracing festive dinner tables.

A retail giant has confirmed they will be stocking the smelly cheese, named The Minger, across 54 of their Scottish stores. It is made in the Highlands and has generated a cult following among the more adventurous cheese-lovers since its creation seven years ago. The Minger is a pungent brie-style cheese with a harder rind and a gooey middle.

Asda said that the stinky food stuff will be on their shelves and ready to be snapped up during the festive season. Rory Stone, who runs the family firm Highland Fine Cheeses, said he was delighted it is being made available to millions of shoppers but accepts it could prove to be a controversial addition to cheese-boards.

Mr Stone's company produce a range of artisan cheeses

Mr Stone told the Daily Telegraph: “The Minger smells meaty, unctuous, cabbagey. There’s nothing subtle here and no nice way to describe the smell – it’s simply bad. But it’s all aroma – the flavour is a very different experience. At best it’s moreish, melts on the tongue with a full, rounded umami taste.” In addition to the Minger, Highland Fine Cheeses has secured its first retail listings for two other products, Fat Cow and Blue Murder.

Mr Stone, who has run the family firm in Tain, Ross-shire, since 1994 said: “It is a real achievement and a very proud moment to be able to say our new artisan cheeses are available in Asda, the first major retailer to stock these products. The business has come a long way from making cheese in the bathtub to seeing it on the supermarket shelves. Our cheeses are still made by hand but are now produced in our dairy in Tain.”

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The Minger’s distinctive orange outer layer is the result of being washed in a solution of Brevibacterium – the microbe responsible for smelly feet – then being left to mature for two months. Mr Stone added: “Our dedicated expert team works really hard to create a unique range of European-style cheeses, handmade using quality local sourced cow’s milk, which comes from traditional breeds where the cows are free-roaming and grass-fed.

"Washed rind cheeses are very seldom seen on supermarket shelves so this is a really exciting time for cheese-lovers – especially for all those festive cheese-boards.” With the addition of these listings, Asda customers will be able to buy all five Highland Fine Cheeses, including its signature Highland Brie and Black Crowdie.

Ashley Connolly, Asda buying manager, said: “We are continually looking for opportunities to work with the best local suppliers to find really quality and innovative products, so we’re over the moon about our new partnership with Highland Fine Cheeses. I’m sure these lines are going to feature heavily on the festive cheese-boards.”

Paul Donald