Some 10 or 20 years ago, you would have hard time to find chef that prefers British cheese over French or Italian cheese. Years ago, the belief was that British cheese is bad, with the biggest knock being that the cheese is a plastic style. However, all of that is changing, and you can be sure that a regular blindfolded person would be vowed after trying some classic British cheddar cheese.
Today there are more than 700 types of cheese in Britain, making the UK a country with more cheese varieties than France. The flavor depends on the manufacture process, the type of cheese used (cow, goat, sheep) and timing of the milking (whether the animals were milked in the morning or in the evening). That being said, let’s take a look at some of the best British cheese and their Wine pairings.
Hafod Cheddar
Hafod cheddar is a young cheese, created in 2005. However, from the moment Hafod appeared on the market, chefs and foodies were vowed by its rich and buttery flavor. Produced by recipe used in the early 1900s, the process of producing Hafod cheddar is slow, but well worth it.
The organic cheddar is produced using milk from cows that are owned by the Holden family for years. With its smooth texture, nutty and bready flavors, Hafod is best paired with some light and fruity red wines.
Keen Cheddar
The next British cheese on the list is also a cheddar type list, but this one comes with the sharp cheddar bite and classic flavor. Again, made from cow’s milk, Keen’s cheddar comes from unpasteurized milk. After pressed, the milk is then bathed for three days, and left to mature for one year before being used for cheddar production. This is a classic and traditional cheese making process at its best.
Cheddar is hard to pair with wine, and Keen poses the same challenge. However, a red wine with strong fruity flavors works best.
Stichelton
When it comes to blue British cheese, you just cannot ignore Stichelton. After all, the award-winning cheese is one of the best and most recognizable in the UK. Made from organic cow’s milk, Stichelton has a cool and creamy taste. Since 1996, Stichelton is made from pasteurized milk due to sanctions from the European Union. For wine, choose some quality champagne.
Corra Linn
With a Spanish accent, this Scottish cheese makes the list thanks to the sweet and complex floral flavor. Made from organic sheep’s milk, Corra Linn produces sweet and nutty taste. The hard cheese is made from unpasteurized milk. After milking, milk is aged for nine months in order to produce that hazelnut flavor that perfectly captures the nature of the Scottish landscape.
The extra time for maturation gives more depth to the cheese, and works best with rose fruity wine.
Innes Log
No list of British cheese would be complete without some creamy and light cheese. Enter Innes Log, a soft, creamy and white cheese that has subtle nuttiness. Made from goat’s milk, Innes Log is one of the favorite goat’s cheeses of foodies in Britain. The taste and texture of Innes Log starts from grassy and bright, and goes to earthy and silky. There are two options for wine lovers here. The first one is the classic robust red as an ideal combination. However, if you want to experiment, you can try classic white wine like Sauvignon Blanc.