Renegade Monk is a hybrid cheese, combining the attributes of soft white cheese, blue cheese and rind-washed cheese. The name came about partly due to the Renegade nature of its making and Feltham Farm's location near the village of Templecombe, which was an important administrative centre for the Knight Templars, the original Renegade Monks.
Using artisan techniques, Renegade Monk is made from organic, pasteurised cows' milk. The set curd is hand-washed in ale every few days as the cheese matures - which takes no more than four weeks. It has a hint of blue to it which is sometimes visible.
As an artisan cheese, Renegade Monk can naturally vary in consistency and temperament. When the cheese is firmer, the rind tends to be darker but the interior is milder on the palate; when the cheese is soft – and it can be encouraged into liquidity – the rind is pale with a scatter of blue, with a pungent, almost goaty inner core. Renegade Monk should be kept refrigerated but allowed to warm to room temperature for three hours before eating. Renegade Monk will continue to develop in strength and flavour even whilst refrigerated.