Sleightlett
Sleightlett is a fresh soft cheese made from unpasteurized goat's milk at Sleight Farm in Timsbury, Somerset, England. It has a white mold-ripened rind, a lemony flavor, and was sold through Harrods and Neal's Yard Dairy.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | England, Great Britain, United Kingdom |
| Specific Origin | Timsbury, Somerset |
| Milk Type | Goat's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Unpasteurized |
| Rind | Mold ripened |
| Texture | Fresh soft, artisan |
| Flavor | Citrusy, lemony, nutty |
| Aroma | Goaty, lactic |
| Colors | White |
What is Sleightlett Cheese?
Sleightlett comes from Sleight Farm in Timsbury, Somerset, England, part of the family estate of John Holbrook. His wife, Mary Holbrook, kept goats and pigs there after a career in archaeology and museums, and she turned to dairy farming on the land.
She started making goat cheese in the mid-1970s with surplus milk from two goats, selling at first through local health food shops. French artisanal cheesemaking shaped her approach, and she took up its moulds and techniques. Her work sat alongside that of Veronica Steele and Giana Ferguson in a wave of women-led farmhouse cheesemaking in Britain.
The cheese is made from unpasteurized goat's milk and ripens under a white mold rind. The paste is soft and fresh. Flavor is citrusy and lemony with a nutty edge, and the aroma is goaty and lactic.
Holbrook's cheeses reached gourmet outlets such as Harrods and Neal's Yard Dairy. After 2002 she split her time between Somerset and London, delivering cheese to Neal's Yard Dairy and supplying London restaurants including Lyle's.
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