🇬🇧 British cheeses

British cheeses are the cheeses of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, from farmhouse Cheddar to Blue Stilton. The UK register has 17 protected names in force: 10 PDO and 7 PGI ³. Sheep's milk is named outright only in Swaledale Ewes' Cheese ¹⁴; most of the others use cow's milk.

The West Country Farmhouse Cheddar specification says Cheddar may have been made around Cheddar in Somerset as early as the 15th century, and tradition speaks of maturing it in the caves under the Mendip Hills. Today it is made worldwide, and the word means a method: stacking and turning the curd. The protected name requires Dorset, Somerset, Devon or Cornwall, at least 9 months of maturing, 48% fat in dry matter and no more than 39% moisture ⁷. Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar matures for 6–18 months, and its dry stir technique dates from 1984 ¹³.

Stilton can be made only in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, and only from pasteurised cow's milk. The name comes from the Bell Inn in the village of Stilton, where the cheese was first sold to the public; in 1727 Daniel Defoe mentioned "a town famous for cheese". Blue Stilton is typically matured for 6–12 weeks, Mature for 10–15 and Vintage for over 15 ⁶.

Yorkshire Wensleydale is linked to Cistercian monks; Edward Chapman opened the first creamery in Hawes in 1897 ⁸. Barbara Gilmour began making Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop around 1690, and it was revived in 1989 ⁹. Traditional Welsh Caerphilly matures from 10 days to 6 months ¹⁰. Single Gloucester is uncoloured, and the Gloucester cow is now a rare breed ¹¹. Dorset Blue Vinny takes its name from the old word "vinew", mould ¹².

Some of these cheeses nearly vanished. In 1980 only one couple still made Swaledale, and in 1986 the recipe passed to new makers ¹⁴. Bonchester and Teviotdale are young cheeses of the 1980s from Easter Weens farm ¹⁵¹⁶. So a protected name does not always mean an old cheese.

The registers differ. The EU lists 17 names, with Stilton as one entry and Swaledale Cheese still in force ¹; the UK has Stilton as two entries, and Swaledale Cheese was cancelled in 2022 ³¹⁷.

British cheese or English cheese? England is only one of four nations: Wales gives Traditional Welsh Caerphilly, and Scotland gives Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar and Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop. Cheddar or Stilton? Cheddar is a method of stacking and turning the curd, used worldwide, so only the full protected name promises origin. Stilton is itself a protected name: it can be made only in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, from pasteurised cow's milk. The EU and UK registers also differ in how they list Stilton and Swaledale.

Look for the full protected name, such as West Country Farmhouse Cheddar or Blue Stilton, and the PDO or PGI mark (protected designation of origin, protected geographical indication); the bare word Cheddar guarantees nothing. For Stilton, the age words Blue, Mature and Vintage hint at how long it matured. You will find these cheeses at a supermarket cheese counter, a delicatessen or a specialist cheesemonger, usually wrapped or in a wedge.

Why it matters to you. The word Cheddar guarantees nothing, since it is made worldwide ⁷; only the full protected name promises origin ³. Take Stilton out of the fridge up to 2 hours before serving and keep it well wrapped; its makers suggest port ⁵.