Stinking Bishop

Stinking Bishop is a soft washed-rind cheese produced since 1972 by Charles Martell and Son at Laurel Farm,, in the South West of. It is made from the milk of, which in 1972 consisted of only 68 Gloucester breed heifers. The breed has been revived to make production of the cheese possible, though it is often combined and pasteurised with the milk of Friesian cattle from a nearby county. The fat content is 48%.

The colour ranges from white/yellow to beige, with an orange to grey. It is moulded into wheels 2 (4.4 ) in weight, 20  (8 ) in diameter, and 4  (1.5 ) deep. Only about 20 are produced each year. The distinctive odour comes from the process with which the cheese is washed during its ripening; it is immersed in made from the local  (from which the cheese gets its name) every four weeks while it matures. The process is said to have links with that used by local Cistercian monks who have long been associated with the production of washed rind cheeses.

To increase the moisture content and to encourage bacterial activity, salt is not added until the cheese is removed from its mould. Air bubbles form in the mould, giving the finished cheese an Emmental-like appearance when sliced.

Popular culture
The cheese was brought to international attention by a brief but important role in the Oscar-winning 2005 animated film , in which it was used to revive Wallace from the dead. Demand for the cheese subsequently rose by 500%.

It most recently was referenced again in Wallace and Gromit media; at the end of Episode 4 of , Wallace samples his favourite cheese -an even more pungent variant of Stinking Bishop- named Stinking Archbishop.

Chef, host of the TV show  , tastes Stinking Bishop during a visit to in London. Unfortunately, the show’s recap mentions other delicacies tasted by Andrew, but not the cheese; one has to watch the part where Andrew visits the famous department store, guided by marketing manager Andre Dange.

In the 2011 show , hosted by, Stinking Bishop was named as the King of Cheese by Winkleman and her two guests;  and.