Ashcombe
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Description
Ashcombe Cheese | Cotswolds Washed-Rind with a Line of Wood Ash
Made by David Jowett at King Stone Dairy on Manor Farm in Chedworth, Gloucestershire, Ashcombe is a semi-firm washed-rind cheese inspired by the French Morbier tradition — and a Supreme Champion at the British Cheese Awards. Instantly recognisable by the striking line of wood ash running through its centre and a rich terracotta rind developed through regular brine washing, it has a bouncy, buttery texture and flavours of warm milk, fresh hazelnuts, melted butter and gentle hay. More buttery and richer than Morbier, with a slightly firmer texture and a meaty, savoury rind that adds depth to every slice. Matured for 2–4 months.
Why You'll Love It
🧀 Striking, Award-Winning & Utterly Delicious – Supreme Champion at the British Cheese Awards. That line of ash through the centre makes it one of the most visually dramatic cheeses on any board.
🌿 Buttery, Nutty & Gently Savoury – Warm milk, fresh hazelnuts and melted butter with a meaty rind — rich and comforting without being overwhelming.
🐄 Made at King Stone Dairy, Cotswolds – By David Jowett, one of Britain's most talented cheesemakers, using milk from Cotswold farms.
Order Now
Order before 11am Tuesday to Friday for next-day delivery across the UK. Shipped in insulated packaging with ice packs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Ashcombe taste like?
Buttery and gently nutty — warm milk, fresh hazelnuts, melted butter and a hint of hay from the paste; meaty and savoury from the washed rind. It's rich and comforting without being aggressive, with a satisfying toothsome texture and a long, flavoursome finish. Richer and more buttery than Morbier, its French inspiration, with a slightly firmer texture.
What is the line of ash for?
In the original French Morbier tradition, ash was sprinkled over the morning curd to protect it before the evening milk was added on top — the ash layer divided the two milkings. Today the practice is largely decorative, but it does play a subtle role as a natural acidity regulator. In Ashcombe it's a beautiful signature detail — and one that makes it impossible to confuse with any other cheese.
How should I serve it?
Bring to room temperature for 45 minutes. Outstanding on a board with charcuterie, good bread and fruit. Also melts beautifully — try it in a toastie, over a gratin or as a British take on raclette. Pairs well with Beaujolais, a light Pinot Noir, dry farmhouse cider or a crisp Jura white.
How should I store it?
Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate. Best consumed within a week of delivery. The brine-washed rind is robust and keeps well, but the paste is at its best fresh.
Do you offer next-day delivery?
Yes — order before 11am Tuesday to Friday for next-day delivery across the UK mainland. Free delivery on orders over £95, otherwise £6.50.
Shipping & Storage Information
Shipping
We offer standard delivery services Wednesday - Saturday, the cut off point for next day delivery is 11am. Orders placed after this time can be scheduled for the day after, onwards.
Our boxes are designed to keep the chilled products at the right temperature for up to 72 hours from the time they leave our cold store. Boxes leave us at approximately 4pm each day and are then out for delivery between 8am to 6/7pm so are generally in transit for around 24 hours.
We strongly advise customers to download the DPD app for updates and to organise your "Safe Place" for where the delivery driver can leave your parcel in the event that you are not at your address.
Our deliveries are made on a "no signature required" basis. In the event that nobody is available to take delivery of your order at your delivery address or you ask us to leave your goods unattended at a secure place, Thomas joseph Butchery rejects all liability that may arise in consequence of the delivery being left unattended, including, without limitation, theft, tampering or contamination, however caused. It is your responsibility to be in on the day of delivery and have put in place arrangements for the delivery if you are not going to be at the address. To avoid any unforeseen issues, customers must add "delivery instructions" for where to leave the parcel, at the checkout stage.
The boxes do not need to be signed for but if there is nowhere to leave them, they will be taken back to the depot and you may need to collect the following day or accept delivery on the second day. If delivery is attempted and you are not there on day one we assume no liability after this first initial delivery attempt.
Delivery addresses must be put in correctly by the customer at the checkout. We do not assume any responsibility for goods sent to addresses that are not put in correctly and we do not alter any addresses unless asked specifically to do so by the customer in question either by email or over the phone, this must be done 24 hours before delivery. We hold no responsibility or liability for any goods sent to incorrect addresses that have been organised with our courier by the customer during transit, again it is the customer’s full responsibility to put in an address that is correct.
One hour delivery slots will be sent on the delivery date but no exact time can be given. While our courier does its best to deliver within the timeslot, delays may occasionally occur and claims cannot be made for deliveries received within 48 hours. We recommend choosing a delivery date at least one day ahead of when your order is required to avoid any potential disappointment.
If you have any special requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01277 373 656.
Storage
90% of our products are cut fresh and vacuum packed to give you as long a shelf life as possible, you will have 7 days from the packing date within which to use the meat. All vacuum packed products are issued with a use-by date and must be kept at 4 degrees or below once received. If you would like your products wrapped in paper, please just let us know during checkout.
The use-by-dates for paper wrapped products are as follows:
Beef, Lamb and Pork cuts: 3 days
Chicken, sausages, burgers and mince: 2 days
Our aim is for you to have the best meat products, delivered directly to your door. With that in mind, we’ve put together a simple go-to guide on what to do once you hear the doorbell ring.
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Unpack. We recommend placing your products on a baking rack in your fridge. Allowing the air to get to your meat will keep them from sweating and discourage bacteria growth. If vacuum packed, take your meat out the day before you want to use it.
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Store. Keep your meat away from other food, if you can, treat yourself to a whole shelf.
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Freeze. Freeze on the day of purchase and if vacuum packed, keep them that way. If not, place them in a bag with as little air as possible, try a zip-loc bag and squeeze out the air as you fasten it. Use within 6 months.
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Defrost. Defrosting in the fridge is the optimum way to go. Allow 24 hours and use within 24 hours of being defrosted.
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Enjoy. Go fourth and enjoy your wonderful meat! Don’t forget to take a snap and post it on insta or facebook and if you’re really happy, go tell your friends and leave us a review on google :).
Returns
If you are unsatisfied with anything in your order, please contact one of our team on 01277 373656 and we will look into the matter for you. While we do not accept returns via post we are happy to look into anything. We would never send you anything that we would not eat ourselves and truly believe that our products are of superb quality. We take enormous pride in what we do and every issue very seriously, if something is wrong we shall endeavour to put it right.
