Capricorn Goat

Cylindrical or square-shaped cheese with a pure white rind. Slightly chalky, like unripe Camembert when young, it becomes softer around the edges. The fresh, creamy feel with a background of chicory and nuts is very appealing. The cheese ripens in four to six weeks and has a fat content of 26 per cent. This cheese also won bronze medals at the British Cheese Awards.

Cerney 

Pyramid-shaped cheese dusted with oak ash and salt. This cheese was created by Lady Angus in Gloucestershire region. Her cheese is named after a pretty village of Cerney where they are made. The cheese has a mild, citrus taste, with a delicate, goaty finish thanks to unpasteurized milk. This cheese is very similar to fromage frais. Apart from the original that is dusted with a fine layer of ash there exist various types of these cheeses, for example Cerney Smoked, Cerney Pepper and Cerney Ginger. The cheese ripens in seven to 10 days and has a fat content of 43 per cent.

Cheddar

Cheddar was invented in Somerset, England in the 15th century on a dairy farm near Cheddar Gorge. It was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I and one of the gastronomic delights of court. Smooth, crumbly and tangy, it is possibly the most famous, widely purchased and eaten cheese in the world. Fully cured Cheddar is a hard, natural cheese. It is shaped like a drum, 15 inches in diameter, with a natural rind bound in cloth. Normally, the color of Cheddar ranges from white to pale yellow.

Cheddar is always made from cow's milk and has a slightly crumbly texture if properly cured. If the cheese is too young, the texture is smooth. Cheddar gets a sharper taste the longer it matures. It is generally matured between 9 and 24 months. The important thing in purchasing Cheddar, is to consider the age of the cheese. For more in depth information on Cheddar see our coverage in the 2008 archives under Homage to Fromage.

Claret is a term used by the English when referring to red wines from the Bordeaux region of France. This cheese, sometimes called "Windsor Red," blends the wine from France with the cheese from England into a beautiful, mottled cheese. The cheese looks similar to Sage Derby, except the veins that run throughout this cheese are a beautiful, dark red rather than the vivid green. It has the rich, sharp flavor of cheddar with heady overtones of wine.

Cheddar (with Harissa)

Long a spice blend used in North African, most notably Moroccan cuisine, Harissa is becoming more commonly used in the United States. Harissa spice blend usually consists of various roasted chili peppers (indigenous to the region where it is made), toasted cumin seeds, coriander seeds, smoked paprika, chopped parsley, kosher salt and garlic. These spices are then ground, added to some olive oil and formed into a paste of the consistency needed.For those who enjoy the sharp, robust, tangy flavor of a delicious English cheddar yet are looking for a bit more of a bite. By adding slivered flakes of harissa spice blend to this firm English cheddar the flavor has been “kicked up,” surprising your palate with little bursts of heat.

Cheddar (with Thai Curry)

If you've ever enjoyed the delicious, spicy flavor of the cheese Paneer, cooked in a rich Thai curry sauce, you are sure to love this new cheese from Coombe Castle of England. Coombe Castle starts with their award winning English Cheddar, then adds a vibrant green Thai curry to add some extra zest! While it might sound like an unusual combination, the sharp English cheddar easily carries the savory, spicy flavor of the curry. The spices used are coriander, turmeric, salt, allspice, ginger, fenugreek, garlic, pepper, cumin, and bay leaves. It also doesn't overwhelm you with heat, making this a great snacking cheese!

Apart from eating this cheese on its own, this cheese is also good when melted on mashed potatoes or on toast providing an interesting savory taste. Its electric green color is sure to stand out on any cheese plate, or on a salad.

Cheshire

This dense, crumbly cheese derives its mild saltiness from the pastures of the Cheshire plain. England's oldest-known cheese, it is reddish-orange in color and has a slightly tangy flavor. It is ripened for two to three months, more aged than a typical Double Gloucester, but less than most cheddars. Immensely popular and widely copied, a true cheese lover should be quite familiar with this longtime classic.

Cheshire (Appleby's Farmhouse)

Cheshire is one of England's oldest cheeses. It's even mentioned in William the Conqueror's Doomesday book in 1086. Fastforward to 1939 when 400 farmhouses produced approximately 6,000 tons of cheshire a year. Today, there are only a handful of these farmhouses left.

Hawkstone Abbey is the only remaining farm making clothbound, unpasteurized farmhouse cheshire. In Shrewesbury, the Applebys' of Hawkstone Abbey have been making cheshire since the 50's. In fact, their cheesemaking room is still attached to their house. Cheshire cheese is special because of the rich deposits of salt in the soil on which their Friesian-Holstein herd grazes.

Cheshire has had a reputation for being sharp and acidic, partly to do with the amount of starter used. Appleby's Cheshire uses less. The acidity takes longer to rise resulting in a rich, buttery, mellow flavor. Cheshire's loose, crumbly texture comes from cutting the curds, breaking them by hand, draining the whey, and then milling them. Aged from six to ten months, the crumbly texture belies a full bodied spicy flavor. Appleby's Cheshire has a sweet, caramel-butter smell with notes of straw and a bright, citrus-like acidity. Enjoy this special tangy, flaky cheese with a Cabernet, Bordeaux or a fine ale.

Coquetdale 

Vegetarian, hard cheese of round shape made from cow's milk. The cheese was made by Mark Robinson in his hometown in Northumberland. It is a soft, supple cheese with a wonderful balance of sweet-savory flavors and a nutty, slightly salty finish. The fine, leathery, natural rind has yellowish-gray mould. Ripening process takes 10 weeks.

Cornish Pepper

Round cheese made from cow's milk. This cheese is produced by Lynher Valley Dairy. Cornish Pepper is a rich, moist cream cheese sprinkled with cracked peppercorns. The cheese ripens in four to six weeks and has a fat content of 45 per cent. Other very famous cheeses of this dairy include Cornish Herb and Garlic and Cornish Yarg.

Cotherstone

It is an unpasteurized, hard cheese with a white wine acidity and a fresh, citrus tang. It is one of the traditional Dale cheeses still being made in the wild and beautiful Pennines. The cheese matures in two to ten weeks.

Cotswold

Cotswold, also known as "Pub Cheese," is the name given to this hearty cheese that combines Double Gloucester with flavorful bits of chive and onion. A harmonious blend of mellow, crumbly cheese and powerful vegetables, Cotswold is a terrific complement to the softer, milder flavors on your cheese board. In England, it is a notoriously popular pub cheese that is commonly served with hard-crusted bread and a strong, dark ale. Wonderful melted on grilled chicken or chops, and atop burgers.

Coverdale

It is a creamery, vegetarian, hard cheese with a pale yellow rind. The cheese has a mild, buttery taste. The texture is firm and open. Coverdale reappeared in 1987 after a break of fifty years. Originally, the cheese was made in Coverdale, but now it is produced in Fountains Dairy. This cheese matures in four or five weeks.

Curworthy

It is an unpasteurized, vegetarian, hard cheese made from cow's milk. The production of the cheese is based on the recipe from 17 century. It has a creamy interior with a supple, open texture and a buttery taste. There are two variations of Curworthy cheeses - Meldon and Belston.

Derby

The cheese has a shape of cylinder with natural rind. It is the first cheese in Britain to be made in a factory. This cheese is very similar to Cheddar, but has a softer, flakier curd and a butter taste. Derby ripens in one to six months. A herb-flavored version is called Sage Derby

Derby (Sage)

Derby is a yellow cheese with a firm texture similar to that of Cheddar. It is now less well-known than its colorful relative, Sage Derby. Mass-production of this product has led to the deterioration of the quality of most Sage Derby. The coloring is done using spinach juice like most Sage Derby, but this dairy mixes actual chopped sage leaves into the cheese curd rather than mixing sage powder into the milk like most companies do. This results in a fresher sage flavor, and it is this flavor that lends Sage Derby its charm. 

Devon (Garland)

It is an unpasteurized, vegetarian, specialty cheese made from cow's milk. The natural rind is firm and smooth with a gray-brown crust. Just before the start of maturing process, a layer of fresh herbs is added that gives Garland its distinctive taste and flavor. The aroma of the herbs permeates the loosely packed, lemon-fresh curds and the resultant taste is fresh, clean and savory. Maturing process takes from six to eight weeks.

Duddleswell 

A vegetarian, hard cheese of truckle shape with a hard, finally ridged, polished, natural rind. It was produced by Sussex High Weald Dairy. The cheese has a flaky texture with a sweet, caramel flavor with a hint of Brazil nuts and fresh hay. Maturation takes ten to twelve weeks. The cheese became very popular and won a silver medal at the British Cheese Awards.

Emlett

The cheese has a disc shape with a penicillin rind dotted with reddish-brown ferments. As it ages, the cheese softens like ice-cream and has the sweet acidity and characteristic nuttiness. Matures in four to six weeks.

Finn

An unpasteurized, vegetarian, soft-white cheese produced by Charlie Westhead of Neal's Yard Creamery. It is the only triple cream cheese made in England. The cheese is firm with a mild, fresh, creamy acidity and a hint of mushrooms. It matures in two to four weeks and the content of fat is about 75%.

Friesla

(No Picture Available) It is an excellent hard, sheep's milk cheese that usually has a boulder shape. The cheese has a sweet taste and the flavor suggests a hint of blackcurrants and a delicious, almond finish. This cheese is named after Friesland Islands, where it originated. The period of maturation takes from six to ten weeks.

Gloucester (Double)

It is a traditional, unpasteurized, semi-hard cheese which has been made in Gloucestershire since the sixteenth century. Records show, however, that Gloucester was known as early as the 8th century. The hard, natural rind has some gray-blue molds and bears the marks of the cloth in which it is matured. Cheese merchants payed attention to the rind's robustness. They used to jump on it with both feet to test it. If the rind didn't crack, the cheese was safe to travel. The full-cream, two milking sessions milk in Double Gloucester gives it its characteristic, rich, buttery taste and flaky texture. It is firm and bitable, like hard chocolate. The color is pale tangerine and it has a flavor of cheese and onions. Not as firm as Cheddar, it has a mellow, nutty character with an orange-zest tang.

Golden Cross

A vegetarian, soft-white cheese of log shape made from goat's milk. The recipe of the cheese is based on French Sainte-Maure. When young, the cheese is firm and slightly grainy, but with age it softens and the texture becomes very soft, like ice-cream. The cheese flavor is a mixture of vanilla and caramel with the bitterness of celery and green grass. The cheese ripens in four to six weeks.

Harbourne Blue

One of Britain's favorite cheeses and a two time medal winner at the British Cheese Awards. It is unpasteurized, vegetarian, blue cheese of round shape made from goat's milk.  The cheese has a sweet aroma and a spicy tang which is typical for all blue cheeses. The period of curing and maturing takes three to four months. 

Huntsman 

The result of a blending of two delicious British classics, Double Gloucester and Blue Stilton, brought together through a complex layering process. Creamy, forceful Stilton is sandwiched between an exterior of mellow, satiny Double Gloucester. The result is an excellent flavor combination that is as delicious as it is beautiful. While some purists may turn their noses up at modern creations like Huntsman, one taste led us to appreciate this English application of technology and innovation.

Lancashire

Genuine Lancashire is a rare find nowadays. In 1939, there were 202 farms making Lancashire. Unfortunately, during the war and rationing, all milk was to be used only for the mass production of cheese. Today, there are only three farms making true Lancashire. The hard, thin, natural rind is pale gold. It bears the marks of the cloth. When young, the traditional cheese is described as "Creamy Lancashire." At this stage, the texture is moist and crumbly. As the cheese matures, its flavor intensifies and the cheese becomes harder. Mass-produced Lancashire has a mild, flat flavor, while farmhouse Lancashire has a robust full taste. Mrs. Kirkham and Dew-Lay are the only two Lancashire makers who use a combination of three days curd to give a unique, slightly mottled texture. As the curds ripen at different times it acquires a multi-dimensional flavor that is sharp and peppery.

Lancashire (Mrs. Kirkham's Farmhouse)

Ruth Kirkham's Lancashire is exceptional. For the past 24 years, Ruth, her husband John, and son Graham have been running this small family business. For three generations the Kirkham family has used unpasteurized milk from their Fresian cows and adhered to traditional methods such as using the curd made one day and adding it to the previous day, then adding the next day's on top. This 3 day curd is the traditional method of creating Lancashire, as farmhouse cows were not bred for milk production and required three days to fill the mold. The curds are drained, salted and pressed and aged for six to twelve months. All cheeses are cloth bound and butter finished. This helps to develop the rind, which encapsulates the cheese's texture and taste. The taste starts with the tang of lemon zest, creme fraiche, and ends with a savory snap! This cheese has won many awards, the most prestigious being "Supreme Champion" at the International Cheeses Show at Earl's Court.

Lincolnshire Poacher

Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese is made at Ulceby Grange in Lincolnshire, England by Simon Jones on his fourth generation family farm. Poacher resembles a cheddar but has a bittersweet bite with a long after-taste of hazelnuts, caramelized onions, yeast, and marmalade. It is made from milk from his herd of 170 Holstein cows and matured for about a year. This is an unpasteurized cheese from a traditional recipe, handmade between the months of October and May. During the cheese-making, the curds are scalded and stirred until it "is springy and squeaks between the teeth" - according to the cheese maker, Simon Jones. This farmhouse cheese won 'Supreme Champion' in the British Cheese awards.

Little Rydings 

It has a round shape with whitish penicillin rind which is covered with red-brown pigmentation. The cheese slightly changes its taste depending on age. If young, it may be slightly chalky and white in the center. The flavor of this soft cheese reveals the sweetness of caramel, a hint of Brazil nuts and the sweet lanolin taste of sheep's milk. The period of maturation is three to five weeks. The best period of production is from March to November.

Lord of the Hundreds

Lord of The Hundreds is named after the Hundreds Knoll, a mound where the Saxons would gather to pay their tithes and bring cases to magistrates. The mound was behind the house of the cheese's inventor, in Aldridge, Walsall, West Midlands, UK. Lord of The Hundreds Cheese was created by James and Pat Aldridge of the Eastside Cheese Company, near Godstone, Surrey, England. It is now made by Cliff and Julie Dyball, of the Traditional Cheese Dairy Company at Stonegate, East Sussex. This unpasteurized ewes' milk cheese is sourced from the milk of the neighboring Boydell's flock of ewes. Like many English cheeses, this raw-milk cheese is vegetarian. Matured until it takes on a dry, crumbly texture, Lord of the Hundreds has a slightly sweet sheep's milk flavor, with a grassy, nutty finish. Not overly salty, it is perfect for an afternoon snack with pears, sliced into a salad, or melted in a fennel gratin.

Olde York

This kind of cheese is very similar to feta, but it is more moist and wet. It is creamy, soft and it has a high percentage of acid. Sheep's milk gives the cheese a sweetish flavor and aroma. The period of ripening is from 10 - 22 days and the content of fat is about 45 per cent. Olde York has been produced by Judy Bell of Shepherd's Purse and was awarded a prize at British Cheese Awards in 1996. This cheese is used for grilling, cooking and it is delicious on baked potatoes.

Oxford Blue

This is a vegetarian, blue English cheese, made from cow's milk by Baron Robert Pouget. It was created in 1993 as an alternative to Stilton. Oxford Blue is creamy with a distinct blue flavor. It has a flavor with a hint of dark chocolate and white wine, with tarragon on the finish. Maturation takes 14 - 16 weeks. This cheese is sold wrapped in silver foil.

Royal Windsor

This is a unique British creation, combining three wonderful flavors into one of the most visually striking cheeses the world has ever seen. The base cheese is cheddar, which is marbled with bright red, fruity Elderberry wine. Inside is a layer of veiny Blue Stilton, offering its tangy, distinctive flavor. The taste combination is extraordinary and the presentation will certainly draw many oohs and aahs at your next party. If you like Huntsman (Double Gloucester with Blue Stilton), then you must try Royal Windsor.

Saxonshires 

This layered cheese is also called five counties cheese because of the different cheeses that make up its five layers. These cheeses are: Double Gloucester, Caerphilly, Cheshire, Leicester, and Cheddar. The cheese has a very dramatic appearance and a very pleasing flavor. If you are a fan of any of these British classics, this is definitely a cheese to try.

Sharpam

It ranks among vegetarian cheeses and is made from cow's milk. Sharpam is similar to Brie and is hand-ladled into moulds to retain the soft feel of the smooth Jersey milk, which is so thick that it feels like clotted cream. Maturation takes six to eight weeks and the fat content is 45%.

Sheep's Milk Wensleydale

Hawes Dairy has created a new Wensleydale for all of the people out there that cannot enjoy cheese because they are allergic to cow's milk. Sheep's Milk Cheese boasts many health giving properties too. Not only is it high in calcium and zinc, it's also lower in saturated fats than cow's milk cheese and is also recommended for those with Asthma, Eczema and skin problems. This is an unusual tangy flavored cheese, which is clean, fresh & milky, with a delicate, exceptionally smooth and creamy texture.

Shropshire Blue

This cheese has a slightly misleading name as it has nothing to do with the county of Shropshire. In fact, it originated in Scotland in the 1920s before its production was transferred to Leicestershire. Shropshire Blue came about from a man named Dennis Biggins, who actually made his living grading another famously orange cheese, Cheshire. Made in a similar way to Stilton, it is a soft cheese with a sharp, strong flavor that takes between six to eight weeks to mature. Orange in color with blue veining, it enjoys a slightly tangy aroma. A delicious accompaniment to Shropshire Blue worth trying is a simple cup of tea - making it ideal for an afternoon or early evening snack. Made from pasteurized cow's milk. Suitable for vegetarians.