Cheesemakers and cheese shops across the land are calling for people to sign up to the Great British & Irish Cheddar Challenge; a huge online blind tasting event that will reveal the most beloved artisan cheddar in the British Isles. With the event set to take place on Saturday 16 September, the public can now reserve their tasting boxes of six artisan cheddars.
This celebration of sustainable and ethically produced artisan cheddar is supported by Slow Food in the UK and the event will be live-streamed from Bra, Italy, during the 14th edition of Cheese, an international cheese festival organised by Slow Food that will attract around 200,000 visitors between 15 – 18 September.
Cheese lovers can get a Great British & Irish Cheddar Challenge tasting box delivered to their doors from one of many independent cheese shops across the UK and Ireland for £35 or directly from participating shops for £28. Each box contains six wedges of cheddar, enough for four people to share. La Fromagerie in Marylebone will also host a tasting evening that will link up with the live online event.
The first ever Great British & Irish Cheddar Challenge will be hosted by comedian, Celebrity MasterChef contestant and British cheese champion, Marcus Brigstocke, alongside the event’s founder, James Grant of No2 Pound Street in Buckinghamshire. They will be joined by the participating cheesemakers and expert panellists from across the artisan cheese community, including; Charlie Turnbull, a director and patron of The Academy of Cheese; Emma Young, a cheese specialist, consultant and author; Patrick McGuigan, cheese author, journalist, educator and judge; Sarah De Wit, founder of the Virtual Cheese Awards; Abigail Pitcher from Chiswick Cheese Market; and Jonathan Pearcey of The Crafty Cheese Man, a wholesale artisan cheese supplier.
Said James Grant, founder of the Great British & Irish Cheddar Challenge and owner of No2 Pound Street: “We’ve been blown away with the support we’ve received from cheese shops and consumers since announcing our plans for the Great British & Irish Cheddar Challenge, and are excited to be streaming live from Bra during Slow Food’s illustrious Cheese festival. Slow Food is a grassroots non-profit organization that was founded in 1986 in reaction to the rise of fast food, and our Cheddar Challenge follows in its footsteps, extolling the virtues of artisan cheese over industrial for the benefit of the planet, our health, and especially our taste buds. We hope as many cheddar fans as possible will join us on the night and discover more about one of the world’s favourite cheeses. We plan to challenge people’s palates and perceptions in order to safeguard the future of artisan cheddar, but first and foremost we’ll be sharing in the joy of eating great cheese!”
The Great British & Irish Cheddar Challenge virtual event will broadcast on Saturday 16 September from 19:00 – 20:30 (BST). Tasting boxes for the online event are available to purchase now from participating independent cheesemongers across the country, including 2poundstreet.com, priced at £28 for collection or £35 including delivery. For more visit 2poundstreet.com/cheddar-cheese-challenge
