the cheese blog

Davidstow Cheddar

Another in the Marks & Spencer “try me for 99p” cheese selections. A Cheddar made by the Davidstow Creamery in Cornwall. Rated 5 on the M&S cheese strength meter. Some searches on the Internet lead to some interesting descriptions of Davidstow, e.g., The Davidstow Creamery … has been making cheese for over 50 years using the water from St David’s Holy Well which can be found next to the parish church.

First, I have to give credit to M&S for this “try me for 99p” range of cheeses. What a brilliant marketing move. How many people here in the UK are hearing more about British cheeses and they provide an option to try small samples for less than a quid. This is obviously bordering on my holy grail, if only they would expand the selection. Based on recent visits to the local M&S, this seems to be the pattern though.

Back to the Cheddar though. This is a pretty typical medium style-Cheddar. It has a pleasant off-white, bordering on pale butter color. There is little aroma, but it does have a pleasant taste. This isn’t a bad Cheddar. It has some nice dried fruit notes, a slight nuttiness, and a bit of tang. This really would be a good sandwich cheese. It has enough flavor to contribute, but doesn’t dominate the rest of the sandwich.