Cheese by Region

The Great British Cheese Map

Britain's cheese heritage is profoundly local. The grass, the climate, the breed of cattle, the mineral content of the water — all conspire to give each region's cheese a character impossible to replicate anywhere else. This is terroir in its truest sense.

The West Country

Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Cornwall & Gloucestershire

The West Country is Britain's undisputed cheese heartland. The mild, wet climate produces lush pastures, and the long farming tradition supports some of the most celebrated cheesemakers in the world.

Somerset

• Cheddar — The most famous cheese in the world originated in the village of Cheddar, Somerset. True Cheddar from the Cheddar Gorge caves has an unmatched depth — nutty, sharp, with a crystalline crunch in aged wheels. West Country Farmhouse Cheddar holds PDO protection
• Bath Soft Cheese — A creamy, Brie-like cheese revived from an 18th-century recipe by Graham Padfield. Made in Kelston using organic milk
• Pitchfork Cheddar — Made by Todd Trethowan using traditional pint-sized starters and cloth-binding. Regarded by many as the finest Cheddar made today

Devon

• Devon Blue — A rich, buttery blue made by Ben Harris at Ticklemore Dairy. Less aggressive than Stilton, with a velvety texture
• Sharpham Brie — From the Sharpham Estate on the River Dart, using Jersey milk for extra richness
• Beenleigh Blue — One of only a few British blue cheeses made from sheep's milk. Sweet, fudgy, and complex

Dorset

• Dorset Blue Vinny — Once nearly extinct, revived by Mike Davies at Woodbridge Farm. Made with skimmed milk, giving it a distinctive lean texture with bold blue veining
• Dorset Red — A washed-rind cheese coloured with annatto, producing a gorgeous orange rind

Gloucestershire

• Single Gloucester — PDO protected and made only in Gloucestershire, often from rare Old Gloucester cattle. Lighter and more delicate than its double-layered cousin
• Double Gloucester — Richer and more full-flavoured, with a smooth, buttery texture and golden colour
• Stinking Bishop — Created by Charles Martell and washed in perry made from the Stinking Bishop pear variety. Famously pungent rind with a surprisingly mild, oozing interior

Cornwall

• Cornish Yarg — Wrapped in nettle leaves that impart a subtle mushroomy flavour. Created by Alan and Jenny Gray (Yarg is Gray backwards) and now made at Lynher Dairies
• Cornish Blue — World Cheese Award winner made by Philip Stansfield. Sweet, mild, and creamy

The North of England

Yorkshire

• Wensleydale — The crumbly, honeyed cheese of the Yorkshire Dales. PDO protected as Yorkshire Wensleydale. Famously paired with fruitcake and beloved by Wallace and Gromit
• Swaledale — A smaller, moister cheese from the remote Swaledale valley. Both cow's and goat's versions carry PDO protection
• Yorkshire Blue — A soft, creamy blue made by Shepherds Purse at their Thirsk creamery

Lancashire

• Beacon Fell Traditional Lancashire — PDO protected, made in the fell country. The distinctive "two-day curd" method blends curds from different days, creating a unique crumbly-yet-buttery texture
• Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire — Ruth and Graham Kirkham's legendary farmhouse cheese, made with raw milk from their own herd. Considered the gold standard

Cheshire

• Cheshire — Possibly the oldest named British cheese, mentioned in the Domesday Book. The dense, crumbly texture and mild, salty tang come from the salt deposits beneath the Cheshire plain
• Blue Cheshire — A rare and beautiful cheese where natural blue moulds penetrate the orange-tinted curd

Cumbria & the Lake District

• Cumberland Farmhouse — A traditional hard cheese making a comeback through dedicated local makers
• St James — An extraordinary washed-rind sheep's milk cheese from Martin Gott at Holker Farm, aged in cellars overlooking Morecambe Bay

The East Midlands

Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire

• Stilton — The "King of English Cheese." Blue Stilton can only be made in three counties (Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire) and must follow strict production rules. At its best, it's rich, creamy, and complex with a structured blue veining
• White Stilton — The ungainly younger sibling, often studded with fruits for Christmas. The plain version is a fine crumbly cheese in its own right
• Red Leicester — Originally coloured with carrot or beet juice, now with annatto. A firm, sweet, nutty cheese
• Buxton Blue — PDO protected, softly flavoured blue from the Peak District
• Sage Derby — Green-marbled with sage leaves, traditionally made for Christmas

Wales

Caerphilly & Beyond

• Caerphilly — Wales's most famous cheese, though historically much of it was made across the border in Somerset. True Welsh Caerphilly is lemony, crumbly, and fresh — miners favoured it for its saltiness and moist texture
• Black Bomber — An extra-mature Cheddar from Snowdonia Cheese Company, coated in distinctive black wax. Despite the traditional appearance, it's a modern creation with a powerful, sweet flavour
• Dragon's Back Blue — A Welsh blue cheese with a gentle, creamy character
• Perl Las — "Blue Pearl" in Welsh, made by Caws Cenarth in Carmarthenshire. Light, delicate, and beautifully marbled
• Perl Wen — The white cousin of Perl Las, a Brie-style cheese with a soft, oozy centre

Scotland

The Lowlands & Borders

• Bonchester — PDO protected Camembert-style cheese from the Scottish Borders, made from Jersey milk
• Teviotdale — A traditional hard cheese from the Borders
• Lanark Blue — Scotland's answer to Roquefort, made from unpasteurized Lacaune sheep's milk by Humphrey Errington

The Highlands & Islands

• Crowdie — One of Scotland's oldest cheeses, a fresh acid-curd cheese made from skimmed milk. Light, tangy, and traditionally eaten with oatcakes
• Caboc — Rolled in oatmeal, this is claimed to be the oldest Scottish cheese recipe, dating to the 15th century. Rich and buttery
• Isle of Mull Cheddar — Made at Sgriob-ruadh Farm, using milk from cows partly fed on spent grain from the Tobermory distillery. The whisky connection gives it a distinctive character
• Dunlop — From Ayrshire, similar to Cheddar but milder and more elastic. Named after the village where Barbara Gilmour is said to have introduced the recipe in the 17th century

Northern Ireland

• Young Buck — A raw milk blue cheese made by Mike Thomson in Co. Down, part of the new wave of Irish artisan cheese
• Ballylisk — A triple cream from Armagh, luxuriously rich

The Channel Islands

• Jersey Shield — Made from the famously creamy Jersey milk, producing an intensely rich hard cheese

Finding Regional Cheese

The best way to explore regional cheese is through specialist cheesemongers who source directly from makers. Neal's Yard Dairy, The Courtyard Dairy, Paxtons & Whitfield, and The Cheese Shed all offer curated selections by region. Many makers also sell direct — look for cheese trail maps from regional food groups.

Every region on this map holds more cheese stories than we can list. Explore, taste, and discover your local heritage.