Stinking Bishop is a soft washed-rind cheese made by one small family firm, Charles Martell & Son, in Dymock, Gloucestershire. It's famous for its smell but tastes far milder than it smells. You can buy it from the maker or from independent cheesemongers such as The Cheese Lady, Pong Cheese and The Mousetrap Cheese Shop.
At a glance
- Made by: Charles Martell & Son at Hunts Court, Dymock in Gloucestershire. Nobody else makes it.
- What it is: a soft cow's milk cheese with its rind washed in perry. Pasteurised milk and vegetarian rennet.
- Buy by post from: The Cheese Lady, Pong Cheese, The Mousetrap Cheese Shop or the maker.
- Sizes: usually a 200g baby, a 500g cheese in a wooden box or a whole cheese of about 1.8kg. Some shops cut wedges.
What is Stinking Bishop?
Stinking Bishop is a round soft cheese with a sticky orange to grey rind and a pale creamy inside that turns runny as it ripens. While it matures its rind is washed every few weeks in perry, the pear version of cider. The washing encourages the bacteria that give the rind its colour and its famous smell.
The smell is strong but the flavour is gentler: savoury, rich and a little meaty. Most people who try it are surprised by how mild it is once it's in their mouth.
Why is it called Stinking Bishop?
The cheese takes its name from the perry its rind is washed in, which is made from a local pear variety called Stinking Bishop. The pear is said to be named after Frederick Bishop, a Gloucestershire farmer in the 1800s with a famously bad temper. So the "stinking" was about the man and not the cheese, although the name suits both.
Who makes it?
Only Charles Martell & Son makes Stinking Bishop, at Hunts Court near Dymock on the Gloucestershire and Herefordshire border. Charles Martell began making cheese partly to help save the Old Gloucester breed of cattle, which had dwindled to a few dozen cows by the 1970s. The farm also makes Single Gloucester, Double Gloucester and several other cheeses.
The maker sells the 500g cheese online from its own website. If you want to visit, check its website for details first.
Where to buy Stinking Bishop
These independent shops in our directory sell Stinking Bishop. We've checked each one on its own website, but small makers' cheeses sell out quickly before Christmas. Check stock when you order.
- The Cheese Lady in East Lothian sells it online in sizes from a 200g wedge to a whole cheese.
- Pong Cheese sells the 500g boxed cheese and a 200g baby online, with a choice of delivery date.
- The Mousetrap Cheese Shop in Hereford and Ludlow sells it online in several sizes. Being close to Dymock, it's a good place to ask in person too.
Many other cheesemongers stock it, especially at Christmas. Find a shop near you on the homepage or browse the South West and the West Midlands, which are closest to where it's made. For more shops that post, see cheese shops that deliver.
Stinking Bishop and Wallace & Gromit
In the 2005 Wallace & Gromit film The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Gromit uses a whiff of Stinking Bishop to bring Wallace round. Demand for the cheese shot up afterwards and it's still the reason many people first hear of it.
Keeping and serving Stinking Bishop
- Keep it wrapped in its box or in waxed paper and put it in an airtight container in the fridge. Otherwise everything else in the fridge will smell of it.
- Take it out an hour or two before serving. A ripe Stinking Bishop at room temperature is soft enough to spoon.
- The rind is edible. It's where most of the smell lives. Leave it on the side of the plate if it's too much for you.
- Drink perry or cider with it to match the rind. Aromatic white wines and beer work well too.
- Cook with it. It melts well into tarts, gratins and pasta sauces.
- On a Christmas board it makes a good "something unusual". See our Christmas cheeseboard guide for what else to buy.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy Stinking Bishop?
From independent cheesemongers or from the maker. The Cheese Lady, Pong Cheese and The Mousetrap Cheese Shop all sell it online. Charles Martell & Son sells the 500g cheese from its own website.
Who makes Stinking Bishop?
Charles Martell & Son at Hunts Court near Dymock in Gloucestershire. It's the only maker.
Why does Stinking Bishop smell so strong?
Its rind is washed in perry while it matures. The washing encourages bacteria on the rind that give off the smell. The cheese inside tastes much milder.
Is Stinking Bishop vegetarian?
Yes. The maker says it's made with vegetarian rennet and pasteurised cow's milk.
Can you eat the rind of Stinking Bishop?
Yes. The rind is edible but it's the strongest part. Many people eat the soft centre and leave the rind.
How long does Stinking Bishop keep?
The maker gives a whole 500g cheese about six weeks from when it's sent. Once cut eat it within a few days and keep it well wrapped in the fridge.
Can you eat Stinking Bishop when pregnant?
The NHS advises checking its guide to foods to avoid in pregnancy, which covers soft cheeses with a rind.