Cheese is generally hard, and made from cows' milk. Cheddar cheese, originally made in the village of Cheddar, is by far the most common type, with many variations. Tangy Cheshire, salty Caerphilly, Sage Derby, Red Leicester, creamy Double Gloucester, pungent Lincolnshire Poacher and sweet Wensleydale are some traditional regional varieties. Cheddar and the rich, blue-veined Stilton have both been called the king of English cheeses. Cornish Yarg is a successful modern variety. The name 'Cheddar cheese' has become widely used internationally, and does not currently have a protected designation of origin (PDO). However, the European Union recognises West Country Farmhouse Cheddar as a PDO. To meet this standard the cheese must be made in the traditional manner using local ingredients in one of the four designated counties of South West England: Somerset, Devon, Dorset, or Cornwall. Sheep and goat cheeses are made chiefly by craft producers. Continental cheeses such as French Brie are sometimes also manufactured.
List of English cheeses[]
- Applewood cheese
- Bowland cheese
- Buxton Blue
- Cathedral City Cheddar
- Cheddar cheese
- Cheshire cheese
- Chevington cheese
- Croglin
- Derby cheese
- Dorset Blue Vinney
- Dorset Drum
- Dovedale cheese
- Fine Fettle Yorkshire
- Five Counties cheese
- Gloucester cheese
- Harbourne Blue
- Huntsman cheese
- Lancashire cheese
- Lincolnshire Poacher cheese
- Little Derby
- Lymeswold cheese
- Newport 1665
- Norbury Blue
- Pilgrims Choice
- Red Leicester
- Red Windsor
- Sage Derby
- Shropshire Blue
- Stichelton
- Stilton cheese
- Stinking Bishop cheese
- Swaledale cheese
- Waterloo cheese
- Wensleydale cheese
- Wrekin White
- Yarg