By Ines Keane
A village in Somerset gave its name to a cheese now made all over the world. The name did not stay put. Wikipedia says Cheddar comes from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, and that the caves of Cheddar Gorge on its edge gave humidity and a steady temperature for maturing the cheese. It also says Cheddar is made in many countries, including the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and that only one producer, Cheddar Gorge Cheese Co., is still based in the village.
So when a Christmas cheeseboard label says “Cheddar”, what does it promise? Very little. When it says “West Country Farmhouse Cheddar”, a good deal more.
We read three sources: the UK government’s product specification for the protected name, a cheese-education site, and Wikipedia. A trade magazine article on one producer is used only for the cave-ageing detail.
The unprotected word
Wikipedia says “Cheddar” has no Protected Designation of Origin under EU or UK law. Our cheese-education source says the protection covers only the name “West Country Farmhouse Cheddar”. Read that twice. Our reading: a pack marked only “mature Cheddar” carries no promise about where it was made.
What the protected name requires
The government specification says the area is the historic counties of Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. Only cheese made on farms within the 1955 county boundaries may carry the name. Milk may come from the neighbouring counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire during shortages, and occasionally from elsewhere in England to cover seasonal gaps.
The milk is fresh cows’ milk. Pasteurisation is optional. A starter culture is added before coagulation, which uses either animal or vegetable rennet.
Then the part the specification calls unique to Cheddar. Curds are cut into rectangles and hand-stacked and turned to drain whey. It says this is still done by hand, and that the cheese is made in vats, on the farm. Curds are scalded at about 103 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit, and the document says the cheesemaker’s skill sets the balance of time, temperature and acidity.
Wrapping, age and body
Cylinders are bandaged in muslin dipped in melted lard or a suitable natural fat or oil, and the bandage is removed before sale. Blocks are rindless, wrapped in a food-grade semi-permeable membrane and packed in wooden slats or boxes. The cheese must mature for at least 9 months, according to the specification; the cheese-education site gives the same figure. Cheese that does not show the expected character is sold as standard Cheddar.
The numbers: fat at least 48 per cent in dry matter, and moisture no more than 39 per cent. The interior is firm with a slightly open texture and an even creamy-yellow colour. The flavour is described as nutty and round, with a hint of sharpness.
Who stands behind the name
The specification says the applicant was a co-operative of 18 West Country Cheddar makers, who are dairy farmers making cheese on their own farms, and that other independent makers in the region produce an estimated 12,000 tonnes a year. It also records that some of them said they would seek to use the name. Inspection is by the Product Authentication Inspectorate. We do not name any maker.
Dates in order
- 1864: Joseph Harding, called “the father of cheddar” on Wikipedia, describes the ideal Somerset cheddar.
- 2007: West Country Farmhouse Cheddar registered in the EU, according to Wikipedia.
- After Brexit: registered in the UK too, according to Wikipedia.
- 2013: Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar registered as a PGI, according to Wikipedia.
Side by side
The cheese-education site says three cheesemakers hold an unofficial “Artisanal Somerset Cheddar” denomination. The government document does not mention it. We show it as one site’s claim. The specification says about 50 per cent of milk comes from members’ own farms; the education site says milk must come from cows reared in the four counties. Both can be true at once.
A trade-magazine article on one Dorset producer says its cheddar is matured in the caves at Wookey Hole and that it sells a cave-aged version. That article does not state the specific protected-name rules, so we use it only to say that cave-ageing exists. The specification does not require it.
What kind of sources these are
The specification is a government document that records the applicant’s description of the product. The cheese-education site is a specialist blog. The trade article is a grocery magazine’s profile of a producer. Wikipedia can be edited by anyone.
Questions a buyer would ask
Does the label say West Country Farmhouse Cheddar, or only Cheddar? Is it cloth-bound? Is the age shown as nine months or more? A maker who can show a pack carrying the protected name has met the specification; a maker who says “traditional” has made a claim to ask about. We have not checked any pack.
What we left out
The names of every producer, prices and awards.
Quick answers
Is Cheddar a protected name? According to Wikipedia, “Cheddar” has no protected designation under EU or UK law. Only “West Country Farmhouse Cheddar” is protected.
Where must West Country Farmhouse Cheddar be made? The UK government specification says on farms in the historic counties of Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, within the 1955 county boundaries.
How long is it matured? At least nine months, according to the government specification. Cheese that does not show the expected character is sold as standard Cheddar.
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