A Guide To English Cheeses

Carla Ranicki Carla Ranicki,

France has its Brie and Camembert. Italy has its Parmigiano-Reggiano and mozzarella di bufala. But what about England ? For cheese connoisseurs, Great Britain might lack variety and reputation, but it makes up it for in quality.

When English cheeses are good, they are very, very good. A top-notch Stilton or farmhouse Cheddar is incomparable. The combinations are classic: Think of a crumbly slice of Stilton, a ripe pear and a glass of vintage port. Or how about a ploughman's lunch made up of a wedge of sharp, golden Cheddar, a crusty roll, some tangy Branston pickle, an apple and a pint of beer.

The market for high-quality English cheeses is an emerging one. The noted English food writer and critic Egon Ronay described the cheeses available in supermarkets in 1986 as "awful; ugly blocks better suited to a building site.... Where were the Great British cheeses?"

In the past decade, those Great British cheeses have seen a resurgence, in large part due to the efforts of Neal's Yard Dairy. This British cheese retailer and wholesaler has promoted small farmhouse producers and contributed to an overall rise in quality of the British cheese available at home and abroad. Now, many excellent English (and Scottish and Welsh) cheeses are available throughout the U.S. , either in specialty cheese shops or by mail order.

This guide intends to not only touch on classic favorites, but also suggest some alternatives from the pastures and creameries of England that would not be out of place on any cheese plate.