Why everyone should be buying British cheese

Peeking into the cheese cabinet or counter of any good specialist retailer today is a feast for the senses. There are striking, whole, hand buttered, clothbound Cheddars, with mottled edges not unlike the leather binding of ancient books. Delicate, silky soft goats’ cheeses dappled with ash or rolled in dried flower petals. Plump, supple Bries and Camemberts with velvety rinds. And bold blues which cut open to reveal sage-coloured ripples.

These are only a small representation of the British contingent. It’s astonishing to think that just three decades ago what we could find at the cheesemonger was vastly different. There would have been Cheddar, maybe a few pieces of territorials such as Lancashire or Cheshire… a wheel of Stilton. Beyond that the lay of the land would be swathes of Continental varieties – antidotes to the bland, waxy, mild and mature block cheeses that had become ubiquitous in supermarkets.

The so-called renaissance of British cheese has turned the sector on its axis, with more retailers than ever before leaning into local and regional varieties which have strong links to the landscape and terroir – be it the craggy hillsides of Wales, Scotland and Yorkshire, or the lush meadows and pastures of the West Country.

Paul Heasman, purchasing manager at Rowcliffe, says he admires the resilience of our modern cheesemakers. “A lot of them used to be in milk and dairy and because of milk pricing had to diversify. Their ingenuity is quite incredible. It’s amazing to think that when we first started expanding into speciality cheeses at Rowcliffe we were benchmarking against the French, Italians and other countries. Now they come here to see how we make cheese, and to learn from us. The diversity and variety we have here is great.”

Rather than standing still, the British cheese world is ever evolving and looking to the future, Paul adds. “I’m seeing second generations of cheesemakers coming through, like over at the Leicestershire Handmade Cheese Co where Jo and David Clarke’s son is now involved, at Lynher Dairies where Catherine’s son Otto is making cheese, and the Keen family, who are now sixth generation cheesemakers.”

“There’s a lot of new people who are interested in cheesemaking coming through now,” agrees Jonny Crickmore, of Fen Farm Dairy. “It’s brilliant to see so much happening, and we’ve been trying to do our bit, helping new cheesemakers, who come to visit us. We’re always happy to give people advice and to encourage them.”

There’s an enormous sense of pride across the entire British cheese industry, at what has been achieved. “We’ve got to be proud of what we’re making, and our farmers,” says Rory Mellis, director of IJ Mellis. “And the more we support British cheesemakers, the more fantastic products we’ll have to show off. We’re visited by a lot of tourists where we are in Edinburgh, and they’re shocked at the sheer quality of what’s being made in Britain.”

As well as fostering the next generation of makers, and welcoming new cheeses to the market, Rory is keen that territorials continue to be championed. “It’s vital that they don’t die off. Things like Lancashire cheese, and Wensleydale are hugely important and the only way to maintain them is by encouraging new people into cheesemaking – to get them excited about it!”

The importance of British cheese

Victoria Dunthorne of Victoria’s Cheese is excited by the growth of the British cheese industry and says it’s more integral to the food and drink sphere than we might think. “Yes, it’s brilliant for our livestock farmers and cheesemakers, but it’s also great for our national speciality food scene in general,” she explains. “As a retailer, who hasn’t had their Continentals held up at customs? And what about price hikes?”

Buying cheese from British makers, Victoria says, is a “no brainer”. “It creates jobs, and brings people back in touch with where their food comes from.”

In addition to being culturally significant, especially territorial varieties, artisanal cheese has its part to play in a more sustainable future for dairy, and in British food security, adds Priya Taylor, of Clawson Farms.

And the ongoing success of these products relies on supporting farmers.

“As a farming cooperative, it’s really important for us to look after our farmers and local communities,” Priya explains. “They are a big part of what makes us who we are. Farmers go through a lot of stresses, in terms of rising feed costs and production costs. It does make things quite difficult, but we’re there for them, supporting them. We’ve got 30 member farmers, all within 30 miles of our dairy, and they really matter.”

Looking after British farmers and buying from British cheesemakers helps to preserve this short, traceable chain of local food production, and sustains local communities agrees Caroline Bell, managing director of Shepherds Purse. “It also reduces carbon footprint compared to imported cheeses thanks to low food miles.”

British cheese “just keeps getting better”, Caroline adds, saying the richness and variety available today is in part thanks to innovation, and makers having the gumption to riff off traditional styles, creating delicious new varieties. “Lincolnshire Poacher, Baron Bigod, Cornish Yarg and our own Yorkshire Blue and Mrs Bell’s Blue are good examples of unique cheeses which have become established in Britain that are distinctive to their makers,” she says. This freedom and experimental nature has been crucial in steering British cheese in the right direction, and contrasts with the restrictive PDO model many larger European manufacturers find themselves in. “There are certainly pros and cons to each,” Caroline says. “But its unquestionable that the British model has led to rich diversity, which has been possible in part thanks to the support of retail too.”

Trends in British cheese this year

A metric for shoppers that’s become even more noticeable in 2024 is wellbeing and health. Consumers are thinking about their gut and microbiome, and have become cautious about ultra processed foods and ingredients. They’re turning to natural, artisan made products in a bid to improve their diets. And that includes choosing better cheese.

Jonny says artisan cheese has a role to play in people’s quests for cleaner, more wholesome baskets. “We’re in the middle of a movement towards good food again, and cheese has led the revival, alongside other foods like bread. It’s right at the centre, which is amazing. Cheese is such a simple product, which is an important part of its appeal. It’s just milk, but with time and cultures it gets turned into all these amazing flavours and it’s really good for you. It’s a fermented food, so it’s great for your gut, and it has all those proteins and carbs combined into something wonderful and tasty.”

We must, Jonny adds, thinking about the conversation around ultra processed food, separate out specialist cheeses. “They are a natural food. Yes, they are processed, but virtually every food is processed in some form. Cheese is positive for health, like many other things, in moderation.”

As well as looking for better quality options, Jonny says he’s finding more people resonating with the story of cheese, wanting to know where it’s from and who’s made it, which is where retailers and their expertise come in.

“We’ve been making Baron Bigod for 11 years and we’ve stuck to our core beliefs from day one,” he says. “We’ve had an ethos from the start, that our cheese should be made by hand, on the farm, using our milk. Staying true to that, and having that continuity of story is one of the reasons I think customers love our cheese so much.”

They also appreciate, he says, the fact that Baron Bigod might change in appearance slightly depending on the seasons. “As a cheesemaker, you’re always striving for consistency, but we can’t change the fact the milk changes through the year, depending on what the cows are eating. We could standardise that by keeping them in a shed and feeding them grain all year, but what makes cheeses like ours special and so appealing is celebrating those differences.”

Food tastes better when it has a story behind it, Jonny adds. “People appreciate it more when they know their cheese has been made by hand for them.”

As well as health and storytelling, Paul says the team at Rowcliffe have noticed a surge of interest in robust flavours – be it hard, Alpine style cheeses, goats’ cheese, or blue.

“In blues the growth we’ve seen is in creamier, slightly milder ones like Montagnolo. There’s a bit of a misconception about blue cheese. Most people will say they think it’s too strong, but there are some fabulous sweeter British blues such as Cornish Blue, Isle of Wight Blue and Perl Las. They have a Continental feel, and an indulgent texture that really seems to be popular at the moment.”

Another trend worth paying attention to is Brits’ ever-growing love for sheep’s milk cheese. “We’re always getting asked for it,” says Paul, adding that this newfound desire for these varieties comes at a time when sheep’s milk is scarce, pushing up prices.

Sheep’s milk cheese producers across the UK are reporting strong sales. Amongst them is Shepherds Purse, founded by Judy Bell in 1989, and continued today by her daughters Caroline and Katie.

The sisters are overjoyed by the interest in sheep’s milk cheese, especially as it is something Judy so fiercely advocated for. “When we first launched them there was a reluctance to try this new style of cheese,” Caroline says. “It was unusual at the time.” Thankfully British palates have come a long way, and consumers don’t shy away from trying different varieties of cheese. “People are more open and embracing, and perhaps more experienced of sheep’s milk cheeses having travelled to France, Spain and the broader Mediterranean region,” Caroline thinks.

“Modern consumers are more informed, and more conscientious about their food choices,” she adds, saying that in addition to an uptick of interest in sheep’s milk cheese, she’s finding a growing demand for transparency around sourcing, production methods and environmental impact.

Echoing Jonny’s thoughts, Caroline says,” We all want to know where our food comes from, not just where it was packed. More work on this via clear labelling and communication is vital.”

Over at Clawson Farms tradition goes hand-in-hand with innovation. Priya says the dairy will always celebrate its cheesemaking heritage, which sees it produce award-winning, renowned products such as PDO Blue Stilton and Rutland Red, but that it’s also important to appeal to those consumers new to the speciality cheese world.

Thanks to targeted social media campaigns, and ongoing work with foodie influencers, Clawson Farms is challenging the perception that blue cheese is just for Christmas or cheeseboards with its 1912 Artisan Stilton. “We’re using 1912 to drive inspiration around blue cheese,” Priya explains. It has so much flavour and is so versatile, and signposting recipes on our website, and working with young influencers who love food and love cheese has been a great way to show just how delicious blue cheese is, and all the different ways it can be used.”

Another huge launch for Clawson Farms has been introducing its premium waxed truckle range this year. Truckles are considered a ‘gateway’ cheese in speciality retail. Something fledgling cheese appreciators can easily grab to go, before working their way along the rest of the cheese counter.

Each of the cheeses has its own unique ‘character’ both beneath the wax seal, and embodied in the beautiful illustrations printed on their labels. “They take our traditional British cheeses and give them a twist, pulling them into the modern day, and elevating them,” Priya says. “So they might have truffle or mango and ginger, or harissa and Scotch Bonnet chilli. They appeal to such a broad range of people, but particularly the younger market. And they’re good for gifting as well.”

Show your support for British cheese

The expanding speciality retail sector, across farm shops, delis, food halls and garden centres, has opened up a huge range of channels for cheesemakers, with many of them saying they simply couldn’t survive without the backing of these cheese champions.

By buying British, not only are retailers building the confidence of farmers, they are helping to grow our food economy, says Priya. “I think it’s also important to talk about carbon footprint, which is something we are very aware of at Clawson Farms. We are always thinking of ways to be more sustainable, and we’re finding that’s something our customers are very interested in.

“The whole farm to fork story is one speciality retailers are experts at delivering. You don’t get that most of the time when you think about Continental cheeses. Often you don’t know where the milk is from, or who made the cheese, or how sustainable it is. We know all of those things and we can shout about the people behind our products.”

Those people are the backbone of our food culture, adds Jonny. “What they are doing is producing food locally, employing local people, and making really good food with provenance. They are also generally being greener and trying to do more environmentally to be sustainable.”

Rory says retailers should remember there is also so much more choice available now in British cheese. If there’s something you think you’re missing from your counter, the odds are there is a homegrown variety being made somewhere in the UK. “When my dad started, there were about 30 cheeses on his bench. Now, we list between 65 and 70, and a huge proportion of those are British, whereas before we had a lot of French and European varieties,” he explains. “In my time I’ve seen at least three to four new cheesemakers pop up, and there’s always something new going on, particularly with the younger generation looking to invent and put a different spin on classics.”

Buying and eating British cheese has also become “the cool thing to do,” he adds.