We made the most wonderful discovery recently when we were treated to a Bermuda homegrown delicacy, Tucker’s Goat Cheese. Those of you who are familiar with this editor know that we have more than a passing acquaintance with James Tucker; I can assure you, however, that this is not a shameless plug but a genuine account of his truly delectable homemade goat’s cheese.
Part art, part science, making fresh chèvre is a labour of love: at the moment, Tucker is milking four goats, “although sometimes it feels like 40!” he says. Indeed, they are his “kids,” and despite a full-time job, he tends to them twice daily, milking and feeding them specially imported organic grain at his Paget home. The goats produce about one and a half gallons of milk a day, or about 10 gallons a week. Tucker makes his cheese once a week, the 10 gallons yielding about 15 pounds of fresh cheese (like cream cheese) that doesn’t need ripening and is ready for consumption right away. In addition to the fresh cheese, Tucker makes about 20 other cheeses a week that require two to three weeks to ripen, a special process in itself.
You’d be right to think that this sounds familiar: Tucker first started his craft over 10 years ago, even supplying several restaurants. But life intervened and his labour of love was put on hold until now, when he has the time to devote to cheese making. Tucker’s cheeses are available at Tom Wadson’s stand in Southampton. The fresh cheese sells for $8 a tub while his ripened cheese, Hay Jude, preserved in red and black wax goes for $10 and his ripened tower-shaped blue cheese, Mr. Bluebird, sells for $10.
