These days, there’s a bewildering array of mature cheddar out there, but the good stuff can be hard to find. Which blocks have that tangy farmhouse flavour and which are better left on the supermarket shelf?
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As a West Country lad from the Somerset borders, I believe cheddar should come from Cheddar. The village boasts England’s largest limestone gorge, at three miles long and almost 400ft deep, and the stable low temperatures, high humidity and unique microbiome of its caves are perfect for maturing this famous cheese.
But good cheddar can be hard to find, not least because it’s a British kitchen staple that’s often sold as a loss-leader and produced by industrial creameries. The resulting generic block of cheese is pleasant enough, but if you want something with a complex flavour profile, crunchy calcium lactate crystals and a creamy texture, you’re going to have to put in some legwork.
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