Cheddar is a core part of the supermarket shop for many. It’s a versatile and popular cheese that originated in the village of, you guessed it, Cheddar in Somerset.
While it’s known for its tang and mellow creaminess, there’s now a lot of variety within the category, with mild, medium and mature offerings often quite different tastes and textures. According to cheese writer and educator Patrick McGuigan, this comes down to ageing. “Traditionally, mild would be three months, medium six months, mature 12 months, extra mature 18 months, vintage 24 months,” he explains. “But in reality, these ages are probably much lower in most block cheddar versions.” This means it's worth checking the specified ageing time on the block.
