What was Peter’s “special cheese” in Succession? | British GQ
When pressed to make a best guess, Lucy settled on Lincolnshire Poacher, which is like a cheddar-comté cross, and, she tells me, actually just won an award at Melton Mowbray’s Artisan Cheese Awards, making it an en vogue choice. She says it has a sweet, citrusy scent, and a firm but smooth and creamy texture. When it comes to taste, it’s fairly fruity, with notes of grapefruit and pineapple, but also has a bit of a sweet, caramel nuttiness. Lucy describes it as “corky”, but in a good way.
As it’s unlikely to be on the shelves in Barbados, Peter probably brought it with him, which, yeah, is a pretty weird thing to do. Lucy estimates that the piece Roman licked weighs about a kilo, meaning, if bought in England, it would have set Peter back around £20.
Isle of Mull Cheddar
Mathew Carver, the director and founder of The Cheese Bar, was more confident. “It’s Isle of Mull Cheddar, 100 percent,” he tells me via email. “From Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. The cows are fed on the spent grain from a local whiskey distillery.”
Isle of Mull cheddar is usually matured for 12 months, developing a strong, sharp flavour. Mathew says it’s hard and crumbly, “like a good clothbound cheddar”, and that it smells like “pasture, whisky, and broth”, and tastes “spicy, creamy, and tangy, with a booze quality”. “Occasionally it has a blue streak, which adds to the flavour.”
Although Mathew says the cheddar isn’t “super common”, it is one of Scotland’s most well-known cheeses. Could it be Peter’s special cheese because it was also a favourite of Dundee-born Logan Roy, and, as a Logan mega-fan, Peter’s trying to emulate or honour him?
Mathew estimates that the hunk Roman licks is between 200g and 250g, so would likely be priced at £12-£16. He also says it would be good with another Scottish classic: Haggis. “Maybe a Haggis and Isle of Mull toastie.” Good luck sourcing that in Barbados.