Key facts: Cheddar Cheese Made with unpasteurised milk so not advised for consumption when pregnant Made with traditional animal rennet
This rich and nutty cheese is the king of Cheddars.
Based in North Cadbury near Yeovil in South Somerset and with the help of his own herd who roam over Camelot- an Iron age hill fort heavily linked with King Arthur- James Montgomery is the third generation of his family to make this exceptional cheese.
Montgomery Cheddar is made by hand seven days a week to ensure the freshness of the milk and uses the same strains of starter culture first employed when the family started cheese making 70 years ago. Once made the cheese is wrapped in cloth and matured for a minimum of 12 months.
This adherence to traditional methods has resulted in numerous accolades including Supreme Champion at the 2004 British Cheese Awards and Best Cheddar at the 2006 British Cheese Awards. In 2009 Mature Montgomery's Cheddar won a gold medal at the World Cheese Awards. It is also one of a small and exclusive list of British foods to be awarded Protection of Designated Origin (PDO) status. To be called West Country Farmhouse Cheddar the cheeses must:
* Be made using milk from local herds reared and milked in the counties of Somerset; Dorset; Devon or Cornwall. This ensures that the cheese has a particular texture and flavour.
* Contain no colouring; no flavouring and no preservatives.
* Be made in these four counties to traditional methods. These methods include the cheese being made by hand and the unique process known as cheddaringí.
