From: Lincolnshire, England
Aged: 18-22 months (Vintage)
Milk: Cow's
Strength: 3/5
Hardness: 4/5
Nickname: 'The Cheddar Slayer'
Tasting: Tangy, nutty, melted butter on toast
Try if you like: Cheddar, but with the nutty volume turned up

Eating Lincolnshire Poacher is like watching HD for the first time when you always thought non-HD was absolutely fine. Before you know it, you cannot live without it anymore. We call Poacher The Cheddar Slayer because so many people we know who love Cheddar now call Poacher home. It is not hard to understand why. It gives you everything a great Cheddar should, but on top of that, another layer of deep burnt butter, nutty happiness that just makes you want to curl up in a ball and giggle. We only serve the Vintage Poacher because the extra ageing we feel just takes it onto another level of HD delectation, adding complexity and character as well as some lovely crunch. The incredible trademark smooth, lingering, nutty sweet aftertaste will make you want to cry. 

TCG Top Tip: Poacher is versatile when it comes to pairing...try Pouilly Fuissé, Gewurtzraminer, Côtes du Rhône, or even a Port or Sherry.

From: Cornwall, England
Aged: 16 months (approx.)
Milk: Cow's (V)
Strength: 2/5
Hardness: 4/5
Tasting: Salted Caramel, Toasted Almonds
Try if you like: Gouda, Comte

**WINNER OF BEST CHEESE IN THE WORLD 2017**
From the makers of Cornish Yarg and Garlic Yarg comes this stonker of a cheese. Encased in black wax, it is made in the style of a Gouda, but the utilisation of Alpine starter cultures gives the cheese multiple dimensions. Balanced and subtle, this dense cheese gives so much. Salted caramel, toasted hazelnuts and almonds, and although savoury, it just tempts and teases you with a little bit of nutty buttery sweetness...and all the flavours just linger beautifully in your mouth for the perfect amount of time. Absolute worldy cheese....literally.

TCG Top Tip: A delicate and balanced cheese like this is best enjoyed on its own...but it is epic with coffee! Yes, it is acceptable to eat the World's Best Cheese (or any cheese for that matter) for breakfast.

From: Herriard, Hampshire, England
Aged: 5-8 weeks
Milk: Cow's
Strength: 3/5
Hardness: 2/5
Nickname: 'The Camembert Conqueror'
Tasting: Mushroom, Butter, Cabbage
Try if you like: Camembert

Here at The Cheese Geek, we are not afraid to let our feelings flow, and with that in mind, we proudly declare that we think Tunworth is the World's Greatest Cheese! And it is British! Everyone knows Camembert, and pretty much everyone loves it too. Tunworth is a Camembert-style cheese, but better. It is rich, creamy, buttery and smooth, but at the same time has so much complexity, with a really pleasant cabbage-style bitterness, and a lovely subtle earthy/mushroom aroma that just fills your mouth. We love it, and we are sure you will too!

TCG Top Tip: Try with truffle honey on sourdough crispbreads - you will never forget the first time! Also delicious baked whole with some rosemary and honey.

From: Bungay, Suffolk, England
Aged: 5 to 8 weeks
Milk: Cow's (U)
Strength: 2/5
Hardness: 2/5
Nickname: 'The British Brie'
Tasting: Buttery indulgence with smooth mushroom and earthy-ness
Try if you like: Brie

Like all great Bries, most notably the world famous Brie de Meaux, Baron Bigod (pronounced By-God, because it is so damn good!!) has an absolutely perfect balance between rich decadent butter, and smooth earthy mushroom. It is not sharp or salty like some Bries can be, which is crucial because unlike Camembert, the flavours are so much more subtle and can easily be overpowered. Eating Brie should feel like a really extravagant and comforting experience, and Baron Bigod delivers on every level. We think these little 250g Bigod gems are best at around 5-6 weeks as they mature slightly faster than the bigger wheels. And don't forget about the rind...it packs most of the punch!

TCG Tips: Smother over a rustic or crusty baguette, and enjoy with a glass of champagne. Cheese doesn't get a lot better than this...

From: Cornwall, England
Aged: 5-7 weeks
Milk: Cow's (V)
Strength: 2/5
Hardness: 3/5
Tasting: Fresh, lemon nuttiness, with a milky mushroom twang
Try if you like: Wensleydale, Caerphilly

Cornish Yarg (founder's name Gray spelt backwards) is very similar in many ways to Caerphilly. It is relatively hard, but still contains good levels of moisture giving it a pleasantly yielding feel when pressed or bitten. But it also has a good level of crumble, giving it a fantastic overall texture. But the real star of Yarg that elevates it to new levels is the visually stunning nettles that the cheese is wrapped in. Each cheese is wrapped by hand, and the nettles impart a truly fantastic mushroomy earthy flavour into the cheese that just adds new dimensions to the eating experience. As the cheese matures, these earthy notes get deeper, and the edge of the cheese starts getting very slightly gooey. Extracting flavour from a young hard cheese such as this is a large task, but with Yarg the nettles do this effortlessly and with finesse. A truly unique and wonderful British cheese, worthy of a place on any cheeseboard!

TCG Tips: A fine match is a slightly fruity, creamy Chardonnay which seems to bring out both the citrus and the earthy creamy notes from the cheese

From: Somerset, England
Aged: 2-3mths
Milk: Goat's (V,U)
Strength: 3.5/5
Hardness: 3/5
Tasting: Supple, nutty, balanced
Try if you like: Semi-soft nutty cheese

Rachel is another great goat's milk cheese from White Lake, and along with Eve, our favourite. If you do not like goat's milk cheese normally, do not be put off! This is different! It has the texture of an Ossau Iraty or a Tomme de Savoie, so basically that utterly divine supple moreish texture when you bite into it and it leaves teeth marks...you know the one. It is springy when you press it. It has the faintest hint of the usual goaty tang, but way more than that it is just buttery, nutty and slightly milky as opposed to being deeply creamy. It is a really interesting spin on goat's cheese both in texture and taste, and one we encourage everyone to give a go.

TCG Tips: A light, fresh white or red wine...don't overpower the delicate cheese!

From: Somerset, England
Aged: 4-8 weeks
Milk: Cow's (V)
Strength: 3/5
Hardness: 2/5

Tasting: Fresh, nutty, even slightly sweet
Try if you like: Banon

Made in Somerset by goat's cheese specialists White Lake, and sister to our much loved Rachel, Eve is a dainty little cheese washed in Somerset cider brandy, and then wrapped in vine leaves. A great alternative to the classic French Banon, it is a soft, unctuous cheese that gets really gooey as it ages. When young, it is fresh and slightly citric with just a hint of nuttiness. As it ages, it develops deeper nuttiness and a hint of caramel sweetness which is really unique and totally surprising in the best possible way. Depending on when you eat it, it is two cheeses wrapped into one and well worth a place in our Cheese Shop.

TCG Tips: Wash down with some cider brandy, and if it gets really aged and strong, a teeny bit of honey works a treat.