Spotlight on Cheddar

Cheddar is arguably the most famous cheese in the world, yet the definition of what cheddar actually is has become diluted and ambiguous over the past 300 years. For some,...

Cheddar is arguably the most famous cheese in the world, yet the definition of what cheddar actually is has become diluted and ambiguous over the past 300 years.

For some, cheddar is a young, mild, supple cheese for grating or melting on a burger. For others, cheddar is a gnarly, crunchy farmhouse punch that transports you to the farm gate.

Cheddar was originally developed in the southwest of England, and it is the climate, grass and terroir of that region that I believe creates the greatest cheddar. And of course time…during the make, but also during maturation.

Whilst there is evidence cheddar wasn’t originally ‘clothbound’, this was a subsequent development that stuck, and I now cannot think of truly authentic, artisan cheddar, without imagining the lard coated cloth that envelops the 25kg cheddar truckles during their maturation.

In response to the ambiguity of what makes cheddar, cheddar, there have been several efforts to define and protect more authentic and historic versions. The most prescriptive of these is ‘Artisan Somerset Cheddar’. The key conditions of these are as follows:

  • Raw farmhouse milk (exclusively, even in busy periods)
  • Clothbound with lard binding
  • Pint starter cultures and animal rennet
  • Aged a minimum of 11mths at sale

The point of course is to ensure that should a customer wish to experience the most authentic tribute to historic cheddar, this kite mark is how they can do that.

There are three cheddars that satisfy the criteria for inclusion within ‘Artisan Somerset Cheddar’ and they are:

  • Pitchfork, Trethowan Brothers, Somerset (available at cheesegeek)
  • Westcombe, Calver Family, Somerset (available at cheesegeek)
  • Montgomery’s, Montgomery Family, Somerset

I would urge you to try all these cheddars if you haven’t before, and even better try them all together. It is quite extraordinary the differences in their profile and character given they are essentially being made to the same recipe and process. Of course, it is the land, the animals, the milk and the unique microbiological conditions where the cheeses are matured that drive these distinctive variances. I am regularly told by customers that once they have tried these cheddars, they have found it incredibly hard to go back to ‘block’ plastic matured cheddar. 

Expect flavours including umami, brothy, roasted hazelnut, buttery, caramel and farminess to name but a few. And sample the stark difference in flavour profile between the rind and the centre of the cheese. In many ways, one piece of clothbound cheddar is 2-3 cheeses in one.

Cheddar is a product enshrined in our collective British history, and a perfect reflection of our land, our grass and our ‘place’. Do remember that when you enjoy these exquisite cheddars this Christmas. They are telling a story of Britishness, but only a snapshot. Because the very same cheese will taste different next week, and the week after. That’s the romance of great artisan British cheese.

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October's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

1 of ProductListDrop
cheesegeek Bibury
Bibury
Semi hard

A sheep's milk cheese made with milk from the flock at Sheaf House Farm just up the road in Gloucestershire. Made only seasonally from late March, Bibury comes to life in Autumn. Classic notes of meadow flowers and hay along with white chocolate and a fondant texture that is very appealing.

 

cheesegeek Swift Reserve
Swift Reserve

3 total reviews

HARD

A scintillating 9-month aged gouda style cheese. 

If there was ever a Goldilocks gouda, then this is it. Just young enough to be supple, buttery, nutty sweet and unbelievably moreish, yet old enough to have developed a slightly weathered earthiness and rich complexity. We reckon this tastes like liberally buttered jacket potato skins. Oh, and finish is a joy to behold, long, sweet and delightful.

To top it off Swift Reserve pairs perfectly with coffee (yes, coffee). Transport yourself to the Med and enjoy a wedge of cheese with your morning caffeine. Keeping you fuller for longer and tasting shockingly good, it'll soon become part of your breakfast routine. Exclusive to cheesegeek.

Look out for the Swift Black coming soon to one of London's most exciting coffee specialists!

cheesegeek Quicke's Mature Cheddar
Quicke's Mature Cheddar
HARD

Mature, and not in a dull, doesn't like to leave the house way. Quicke's Mature is just fully developed. Quicke's the makers date back to 1540s so they know how to make goooood cheese. Handcrafted using grass-fed cow milk, this well rounded cheddar is typically matured for 12-18 months (hence the name) and brings you a variety of flavours from brothy to buttery to freshly mown grass and baked potato flavours. Always with the characteristic cheddar tang.

cheesegeek Washington
Washington

2 total reviews

SOFT

British cider-washed soft cheese

An unforgettable soft cheese, washed in cider. 

A testament to British cheesemaking, and a nod to continental cheesemaking. Washington is a washed rind cheese destined for great things. When slightly younger, the flavours are fresher and crisper, with just a hint of fruitiness. Ripened on, it develops deep, savoury, meaty flavour, a bit like those famous continental pongers like Epoisses. However, the cider wash brings an astonishing fermented fruity funk, balancing the savoury flavours perfectly, all playing out amidst the most tantalising creamy, decadent, luxurious texture. A modern take on history, and a cheese for the ages.

cheesegeek Perl Las
Cornish Blue
BLUE

Designed to be eaten as a young cheese, Cornish Blue is a very different product from traditional English blue cheeses. Its flavour is mild and creamy, with a dense texture and buttery richness, instead of the ‘salty tang’ common of other traditional blue cheeses it has a gentle sweetness.

November's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftsmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

1 of ProductListDrop
cheesegeek 200g Rutland Red
Rutland Red
HARD

**Just voted 8th best cheese in World** One of the few remaining Red Leicester cheeses made in Leicestershire, Rutland Red is made in a special dedicated cheese room at Long Clawson Stilton makers. This beaut is so buttery and nutty sweet with a finish reminiscent of a creme brulee and a striking deep red colour that is unmistakable on a cheeseboard making it a firm favourite at cheesegeek. We're not the only ones to think so as Rutland Red just won 8th best cheese in the world (over 5,200 entries!) at the most prestigious 2025 World Cheese Awards. Red Leicester is a classic on any cheeseboard and is also one of our top picks to cook with, Cauliflower Cheese we're looking at you!!

cheesegeek Cornish Kern
Cornish Kern

6 total reviews

HARD

From Lynher Dairies, the makers of Cornish Yarg and Garlic Yarg, we welcome Cornish Kern—a stonker of a cheese. This beaut is off the chart with flavour. Encased in black wax, it is made in the style of a Gouda, however, the utilisation of Alpine starter cultures gives the cheese multiple dimensions. It has a real fruity twang, something like from an old sweet shop, except cheesy. Think exotic dried fruits, salted caramel, toasted hazelnuts and almonds, and although savoury, it simply tempts and teases you with a little bit of nutty buttery sweetness. All the flavours just linger beautifully in your mouth for the perfect amount of time. Its crumbly, crisp and slate-like texture simply arouses one's senses to another planet. An absolute worldy cheese....literally.

cheesegeek Burford
Burford
Semi hard

King Stone Dairy's longest aged, largest cheese. Originally conceived as a way to capture the sweet complexity of Summer pastures, Burford is now made year round and reflects the seasonality of the milk at Manor Farm. Flavours of charcuterie, hazelnut and hints of tropical fruit.

 

The Cheese Geek 250g Tunworth
Dozmary
SOFT

A bold soft cheese inspired by the wild beauty and legend of Bodmin Moor. Named after the mystical Dozmary Pool said to be the resting place of King Arthur’s Excalibur, it carries the same sense of drama and heritage.

It has been developed as a richer, more flavourful evolution of the Cornish Camembert, Dozmary is oozy, buttery, and bursting with character.

The Cheese Geek Cashel Blue
Crozier Blue
BLUE

Crozier Blue is an Irish sheep's milk cheese modelled loosely on a Roquefort, that has a rich, full and well-rounded flavour. It is gently salty with a distinctly rich creamy texture, offset by a touch of spice.

December's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftsmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

1 of ProductListDrop
The Cheese Geek Old Roan Wensleydale
Yoredale

4 total reviews

Made at Curlew Dairy by husband and wife Ben & Sam, Yoredale (formerly Old Roan) represents one of the only truly traditional, raw milk Wensleydale cheeses still made in the UK. As well as being a stonker of a Wensleydale, we were rather captured by the Yoredale's journey. The milk travels a whole 5 metres (or 500cm) from milking parlour to processing room. Then, having been matured for 3-4 months it makes its way to you...via us! Unlike block Wensleydale, the manual, handmade, small batch nature of this traditional clothbound Wensleydale results in so much more complexity. It has the tell tale bite in the centre, but carries an incredible stoney, mineral earthiness closer to the rind, where you also start getting the most wonderful breakdown in the cheese. There are more hidden themes here than The Matrix, and it is a great nod to traditional cheesemaking

cheesegeek Lincolnshire Red
Lincolnshire Red
This beaut gives you everything a great Cheddar should, but on top of that, another layer of deep burnt butter, nutty happiness. It has an intense moist yet creamy texture, with a delicate and elegant buttery flavour that matches with a lingering clean flavour. Theres no denying that this Lincolnshire Red is a promising winner on any cheese board.
The Cheese Geek Pitchfork Cheddar
Pitchfork Cheddar

7 total reviews

The newest of only 4 traditional, raw milk Somerset cheddars, Pitchfork joins great company alongside Keens, Montgomerys and Westcombe. In our view, it more than holds its own. It has incredible complexity and balance, one of the trademarks of a great cheddar. You'll find a farmy-like tang, a buttery undercoat with the hallmark of a proper, Clothbound cheddar- a crumbly, earthy breakdown in the mouth. There really is none of that supple rubbery chewiness you get with a supermarket cheddar. No wonder Pitchfork won 4th best cheese in the World in 2020, and Best British cheese!

The Cheese Geek 250g Rollright
Rollright

26 total reviews

Rollright - never ever ever Rollwrong. Simply put, it's a better, British alternative to Reblochon, yet so much more. It's luxurious, it's buttery, it's rich...but with an immensely satisfying crunch. Let's not forget the woodiness thanks to the spruce bark wrap. This guy comes as a 250g whole (it's a good whack of cheese but won't last more than a sitting). Whilst the guys at King Stone Dairy in Gloucestershire took inspiration from the washed rind soft cheeses of France and Switzerland, they have taken it to another level here. Keep on rollin.

n.b. our good friend Rollright is susceptible to seasonality and batches may vary, one thing is for sure though, he always tastes good!

cheesegeek Long Clawson Stilton
Long Clawson Stilton

5 total reviews

The heavyweight of all cheeses, Santa's favourite cheese, and Christmas on a plate... it's Stilton.

After months of blind-taste tests, we settled on Long Clawson as our Stilton of choice. But don't just take our word for it, Long Clawson won Super Gold at the 2021 World Cheese Awards, effectively crowning it the World's Best Stilton.
With it's beautiful blue veins (yes we're calling them beautiful) and bold flavour, we're so glad there's Stil-tons of this cheese in our fridge.