There are valleys in France that produce more quality cheeses than we manage as a nation (and many we over here have never even heard of).
Apparently we should all be eating Cheddar as our patriotic duty. Obviously, affecting a liking for the second rate is becoming a bit of an English obsession 
Just as well Iām not English then 
, love a bit of Comte 
!
Heaven on earth is Jurancon with Bethmale
I reckon I could do that. I have a particular weakness for Cornish Cruncher from M&S
Give me Long Clawson every time over Roquefort. Again, personal tastes.
Stichelton! A raw milk Stilton. Yay!
Itās true that we shouldnāt talk up the mediocre. But we need to be careful that doesnāt tip over into dismissing the good.
Stilton vs Roquefort - itās all a matter of taste. You find Stilton too heavy - I find all French blue cheese lacking in taste balance. You say pot-ay-to, I say pot-ah-to 
But in both cases, theyāre produced in quality versions, and in industrial versions, and the quality versions of both should be celebrated.
Incidentally, we visited Roquefort about ten years ago. Having done the obligatory tour of the caves, and bought some cheese, we went looking for some bread with which to eat it. At least at the time, there appeared to be no boulangerie anywhere in the village! Still not sure whether we just missed it, or if the whole place is so given over to tourists that what would normally be an everyday shop in every single village was just not there. (And donāt get me started on boulangeries. Weāve just had a chi-chi new bakery open around the corner from us in Cambridge. Tiny croissants at Ā£2.50 of worse quality than 1ā¬ croissants in any of three boulangeries in our village in Alsace. So I do know that the French do French things much better )
I think that was what my rather tongue-in-cheek comment about Cheddar referred to. Iād hate that variety, choice and quality to disappear 
Although I could live off Cornish cruncher 
Whenever cheese is the topic and British cheese is advocated, I feel obliged to cough politely and say āincluding Welshā. A good Caerphilly is magnificent and when it comes to blue cheese Perl Las from Carmarthenshire is for me preferable to Stilton. Last year I was. in Somerset and at a farmerās market asked the guy with a cheese stall to recommend a mature local Cheddar. He replied āIāve got some, but if you want something really good Iāve also got thisā and proceeded to try to sell me Snowdonia Black Bomber. (Which is delicious, but hey, coals to Newcastle.)
I donāt think I suggested otherwise I just used Stilton as an example, as itās one of my favourite cheeses. I shall have to try and locate Perl Las now, and try it.
Oh, absolutely - I wasnāt having a go! Itās just that Welsh cheese flies a bit under the radar in the larger market, and thereās so much good stuff around (all that lush grass!) - goatās cheese is excellent too.
I miss the cheese festival they used to do in Cardiff Castle. I hope they can bring that back 
Iād like to add ā Cashel blueā
I tried Snowdonia Black Bomber after I think reading a recommendation here. To my taste somewhat better than supermarket cheddar but not by much. Hafod is the undisputed king of Welsh cheddar in my book (and an utterly superb cheese).
What Charles Martell did for cheese in this country was nothing less than spetacular.
Should we start a thread for cheese?
Have you tried the Brefu Bach sheeps milk cheese? Itās really good! The same creamery does a hard cheese which (more in a manchego vein than a pecorino vein), which is also very good.
(in googling for it, Iāve discovered that I used to play in a brass band with the cheese makers son).
Hafod is divine. Iād go as far as to say that itās my favourite cheddar. Thereās some pretty stiff competition with Montyās, Keens and Isle of Mull.
I agree about the Black Bomber. Itās a different product as they rechurn it repeatedly. Itās like supermarket cheese only better rather than like an actual artisan cheddar. A gateway drug maybe?
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