Wensleydale Creamery, in Hawes Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, England, sources its milk from small local farms and provides work to over two hundred residents in the surrounding area. It's now "protected Geographical Indication; PGI.

This Hawes Wensleydale is also known as "Kit Calvert" old-slye Wensleydale. Its buttery, creamy textured and celebrates the father of this cheese - Hawes most famous and respected son, known for saving Wensleydale in the 1930s.

In the 1990's sales had fallen and production was at risk of being suspended. However, in 1995 Wallace of "Wallace and Gromit" proclaimed it as his favourite cheese! in "A Close Shave" and it gets mention in of their films. Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit admitted that he picked it because he thought it would be fun to animate "Wensleydale" coming from Wallace's mouth. This fortunate occurrence in effect revived the love for this beautiful and delicious traditional English Cheese and not only saved it from extinction but elevated it to an enormous success.

I was beyond charmed from the first time I saw Wallace and Gromit and it had been a wish I tucked away hoping one day to paint it. It was a good fortune of timing, or fate(?) that I stopped into my favorite cheese counter at Di Bruno Bros and they had a rare shipment of it!

I had SO much fun painting this cheese and I modeled it after the cheese painting hanging in Wallace and Gromit's living room!

Country of Origin: England, UK

Availability: sold