As an international fresh market, we love to celebrate foods from all over the world. For the cheese-lover, October is an exciting month as it is British Cheese Month! October is when many of the year’s finest wheels reach their peak maturity. This makes it the unofficial, and arguably most delicious, time for a true celebration.
Cheddar is King in Great Britain and this goes back centuries. Cheddar cheese actually originated in a large village located in southwest England, a town called Cheddar. The town of Cheddar gave its name to the cheese-making process “cheddaring” and was also the origin of a massive 1250 pound Cheddar wheel presented to Queen Victoria as a wedding gift in 1840
While Cheddar is king, British cheese is a diverse realm. We have over 35 British cheese items directly from England that you can save on all month long! Let’s look at some of the items we will have in store for you to try through the month.
Lye Cross Red Leicester
A handmade farmhouse cheese with a delicate, sweet, and nutty flavor as well as a distinctive red color. Red Leicester is excellent with caramelized onion jam or a fig jam because the sweetness and tanginess cut through the richness of the cheese. It’s great with crisp apples (like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp) and juicy pears or with crusty bread, simple water biscuits, or herb crackers.
Dragon Platinum Cavern Aged Welsh Cheddar
This is a high-quality, mature cheddar with a unique flavor profile because it takes aging to a whole new level. The flavor is typically described as having great depth, rich savory notes, and a distinct flinty or mineral quality, with a firm but creamy texture. The aging process in the cave environment adds unique earthy characteristics and complexity. Given its mature, bold, and complex flavor, it pairs best with accompaniments and drinks that can stand up to its intensity without overpowering it.
Long Clawson Windsor Red Cheddar
Its distinct flavor comes from being marbled with a blend of Port and Brandy. It is a mild and creamy semi-hard Cheddar. This infusion adds a delightful blend of fruity, tangy, and subtly boozy notes (from the port/brandy/wine). It has a striking pink/red marbling due to the infusion. This one is firm, creamy, and sometimes a little crumble.
Barber’s Truffler Cheddar
The Barber’s Truffler Cheddar is a luxurious, savory cheese that combines the heritage of traditional English cheddar with the decadent, earthy aroma of black truffle. Sharp, savory, and creamy mature English cheddar (often aged for one year). It is earthy with aromatic notes of black summer truffle, providing an unmistakable “umami” richness. This firm and creamy, with nice crystalized cheddar crunches.
These are just a few of the many cheeses we have. We also have things like clotted cream, crackers, and more! In addition to having them at great prices, we will have demos of these at different stores every weekend through October, so stop in and check them out!