AFTER my second foray into the world of vegan cheese last week, it will come as a relief to many to learn that I am back on terra-firma this week. Or should that be terra-mollis, given that I have been enjoying the delights of The Bath Soft Cheese Co?

I am sure many of you will already be familiar with the much-loved Bath Soft Cheese that’s produced courtesy of a herd of 160 Holstein Friesian cows at Park Farm on the outskirts of Bath. It’s a real staple of restaurant cheeseboards in Wiltshire, and makes a really pleasant, local change to brie or camembert.

The company runs a very successful mail order business, but as regulars at a number of farmers’ markets and festivals, it’s a relatively easy cheese to come by. I picked my own up at the Bath Christmas Market, after fighting my way through the jostling crowds at their stall, all eager to give them a try.

The cheese the company takes its name from dates back to the 1800s, and it is believed that Lord Nelson himself received a gift of this cheese from his father. Rather than the usual wheel we have become accustomed to seeing soft cheeses served in, the Bath Soft Cheese comes in a four-inch square, beautifully wrapped in parchment with a red wax seal. It’s incredibly creamy, and, when fresh, has an ivory-coloured centre under a thin white rind. I have become a real fan of a soft cheese that packs a bit of a punch and, when left to mature, the taste of this cheese becomes really quite intense and moreish as it ages.

The Blue (named the Supreme Champion at the World Cheese Awards in 2014) speaks for itself, but my absolute favourite in their pantry though is the Wyfe of Bath - and not just because of the delightful Chaucer-esque visions of Olde England its name evokes. It’s an artisan semi-hard cheese, described as being “bouncy” but with a surprisingly creamy texture on the palette and a distinctly nutty taste. They also offer an Extra Mature Wyfe, which has been left to do its best for a full 12 months.

Having made short work of the wedge I brought back with me from the spa city I am eager to track down the latest dame to join the family; the cider-soaked Merry Wyfe. Despite only marrying into the family of Bath in May of last year, and spending every other day being washed in cider pressed from organic apples on the farm for four weeks, she has already been busy winning gold at three notable cheese awards.

Now if that’s not the true definition of a trophy wife, I don’t know what is.