The Great British Cheddar Challenge

Set to be the biggest cheddar event the world has ever seen, the first edition of the Great British Cheddar Challenge will take place on Saturday 16 September. In this tasting box you will receive six unlabelled artisan cheddars. These will then be discussed during an online blind tasting event, presented by comedian and cheese judge, Marcus Brigstocke, alongside experts from the cheese industry.

The Great British Cheddar Challenge will invite cheese lovers to challenge their perceptions of cheddar. With artisan cheddar accounting for only 3% of cheddar sales in the UK, Marcus and co. will guide viewers through some of the finest examples of artisan cheddar ever made – exploring how the seasons, the grass, the cows, the makers and the unique microflora in maturing rooms have influenced each truckle – before a People’s Choice Award vote to find the nation’s favourite cheddar.

James Grant, founder of the Great British Cheddar Challenge, commented: “Cheddar is the nation’s undisputed big cheese, but we want to challenge people’s palates and perceptions in order to safeguard the future of those making it according to time-honoured principles. While supermarket cheddars seek to satisfy the masses with a generic flavour profile, our artisan cheesemakers are producing incredible and varied wedges using recipes, techniques and cultures going back decades and even centuries. Having lost my sense of taste for over a year, I know what it’s like to be without these magnificent cheeses, so want to do all I can to promote and preserve them for future generations. During the Great British Cheddar Challenge, we’ll be inviting the public to wrap their taste buds around cheddars with distinct flavours, aromas, textures and appearances, all a true representation of the land from which they came. We want to raise awareness, sell more cheese and get more people enjoying the best cheddars in the world.”

The Great British Cheddar Challenge will take place on Saturday 16 September at 7pm. Boxes will be delivered on Friday 15th September. The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be announced during the Big Cheese Weekender in October.