The best of British cheese

2024 British Cheese Awards Winners

1. TOR, BEST ENGLISH CHEESE

A soft pyramid-shaped cheese made using unpasteurised goat’s milk, Tor is made by White Lake Cheese in Somerset. It’s named and shaped to celebrate Glastonbury Tor, which is visible from White Lake’s farm. Judges praised its lemony notes, a lactic tang and subtle peppery undertones from the light ash coating.

£8.35 (200g), whitelake.co.uk, thecheesegeek.com

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2. CASHEL BLUE BEST IRISH, BEST BLUE AND RESERVE CHAMPION

Cashel Blue is a semi-soft blue cheese made using pasteurised whole cow’s milk in Co. Tipperary, Ireland. With blue veining throughout, a buttery texture and full flavour, it’s perfect with with strong cider.

£7.70 (250g), finecheese.co.uk

3. PITCHFORK, BEST TRADITIONAL CHEDDAR

Pitchfork is a traditional cloth-bound cheddar handmade by brothers Todd and Maugan Trethowan in Somerset. Made with unpasteurised cow’s milk and wrapped in lard for maturing, It’s moist and succulent with a full flavour and hints of tropical fruit.

£10.75 (250g), paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk, nealsyarddairy.co.uk

4. LORD OF THE HUNDREDS, GOLD AWARD

Made by The Traditional Cheese Dairy in East Sussex, Lord of the Hundreds is a hard, naturally-rinded sheep’s cheese. Complex and fabulously savoury, the cheese has hints of caramelised hazelnuts and fresh grassy notes. On the cheeseboard, it pairs well with charcoal biscuits, quince jelly and pears and if there’s any left over, then it is a great alternative to parmesan.

£7.50 (200g), thetraditionalcheesedairy.co.uk, thecheesehutshop.co.uk

5. MINGER, BEST SCOTTISH CHEESE

Pong on the nose and pure pleasure on the palate saw this washed-rind, brie-style cheese from the Highlands scoop Best Scottish Cheese. With an orange annatto-washed rind and a deliciously oozy, creamy paste, Minger has mildly nutty and lemony flavours with a hint of farmyard, becoming decadently pungent and runny when ripe.

£7.95, 2poundstreet.com

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