CBF45 cheese list

Cheeses

Here’s the cheese list for the 45th Cambridge Beer Festival.

Please note we aim to have a representative selection of about 10–15 cheeses available at any one time. This selection is constantly changing and we cannot guarantee that a specific cheese will be available at any particular time.

P = Pasteurised milk used
V = Vegetarian rennet used
O = Organically produced

Blue cheeses

Usually fairly soft cheeses, with blue (or green or grey) veins of mould running through. Look for the blue labels on the right-hand side of our display counter.

  • Barkham Blue cow, P, V. Moist, rich and creamy, with spicy depth and a deep yellow interior. Made in Barkham, Berkshire.
  • Beenleigh Blue sheep, P, V. Devon’s answer to Roquefort – moist and slightly crumbly, with a rich, creamy and slightly sweet caramel flavour.
  • Blacksticks Blue cow, P, V. Semi-soft blue cheese with a creamy, smooth texture and tangy flavour. Made in Lancashire.
  • Blue Murder cow, V. Strongly flavoured, but creamier than most blues. Hints of spices. New for 2018.
  • Cashel Blue cow, P, V. Ireland’s first blue cheese. Creamy, dryish texture and mellow flavour.
  • Cropwell Bishop Stilton cow, P, V. A strong, rich, tangy, firm blue cheese, best eaten at room temperature and served with dark beers.
  • Crozier Blue sheep, P, V. Gently salty with a rich creamy texture and full, spicy flavour. Ireland’s only blue ewes’-milk cheese.
  • Devon Blue cow, P, V. A sweet, medium-strength flavour with a lively bite from the blue. Moist, slightly crumbly texture.
  • Dorset Blue Vinny cow, V. A dry, crumbly, blue cheese with a medium-strength, nutty taste, made to a traditional Dorset recipe.
  • Harbourne Blue goat, P, V. White goat’s cheese with pale blue veins, a creamy, melting texture and a powerful, aromatic flavour.
  • Mrs Bell’s Blue sheep, P, V. Milder than a Roquefort but with a complex, sweet and salty punch.
  • Oxford Blue cow, P, V. Creamy semi-soft blue cheese with a sharp, clean flavour.
  • Perl Las Blue cow, P, V, O. A blue Caerphilly with a salty, lemony flavour and lingering aftertaste. “Perl Las” is Welsh for “Blue Pearl”.
  • Shropshire Blue cow, P, V. Similar to Stilton but with a deep orange colour. Medium blue with a firm, creamy texture. Not originally from Shropshire.
  • Suffolk Blue cow, P, V. A soft, creamy, rich cheese, lightly blue-veined. Made from milk from Guernsey cows.
  • Yorkshire Blue cow, P, V. Mild, soft, blue-veined cheese with no sharp bite.

Firm cheeses

Firm-textured cheeses, some with natural or washed rinds or other coatings. Look for the yellow labels in our display counter.

  • Appleby’s Cheshire cow, V. Moist and crumbly with a clean, zesty taste and a rich finish.
  • Applewood cow, P, V. Creamy West Country cheddar with a smoked flavour, coated in paprika.
  • Ashdown Foresters cow, P, V, O. A medium-strength, buttery, firm cheese with a nutty flavour, from West Sussex.
  • Berkswell sheep. A sweet and dry flavour, with hints of pineapple or citrus, reminiscent of Pecorino.
  • Berwick Edge cow. A hard, mature, Gouda-style cheese from Northumberland with a sweet, lingering taste.
  • Black Bomber cow, P, V. Strong, creamy, extra-mature cheddar.
  • Cahill’s Porter cow, P, V. Firm, tangy, Irish cheddar flavoured with porter.
  • Celtic Promise cow, V. Washed in cider, it has an orange rind, supple texture and spicy, aromatic flavour.
  • Celtic Promise Smoked cow, V. A rich, intense, oak-chip flavour, but still retaining the creaminess of the original.
  • Coolea Matured cow, P. Made in Ireland to an old Gouda recipe, and matured to add sweetness. New for 2018.
  • Cornish Yarg cow, P, V. A creamy, lemony cheese with a crumbly core, wrapped in nettle leaves for a unique, earthy flavour.
  • Cumberland Smoked cow, V. An extra-mature, buttery farmhouse cheese with a nutty, rounded flavour, smoked over Cumbrian oak.
  • Curworthy cow, P. A younger version of Devon Oke, this is mild and creamy, developing a nutty flavour as it ages. New for 2018.
  • Devon Oke cow, P. Unique, creamy texture with a mature aftertaste. Lacks the acidity of a Cheddar.
  • Double Gloucester with onion & chives cow, P, V. Hard cheese with a mellow flavour and added bite from the onion and chives.
  • Godminster cow, P, V, O. A firm, pale yellow Cheddar-type cheese with a salty-sweet flavour, matured for 12 months.
  • Golden Cenarth cow, P, V. An aged Caerfilli with a red rind.
  • Goodweald Smoked cow, V. A hard, matured farmhouse cheese with a tangy, full-bodied flavour and toasted aroma. Good with chutney.
  • Gorwydd Caerphilly cow. A longer-matured Caerphilly with a crumbly middle and a mushroomy, lemony taste.
  • Gubbeen cow, P. A gentle, semi-soft, savoury Irish cheese with a delicate pink rind washed in white wine. Aftertastes of mushrooms and nuts.
  • Gubbeen Smoked cow, P. A semi-soft, savoury Irish cheese with a gentle oak-smoked flavour.
  • Gunstone goat, V. A light, smooth, rinded, semi-hard cheese made in Devon to a Dutch recipe. Goaty flavour which increases with maturity.
  • Hereford Hop cow, P. A mellow, sweet, buttery cheese with a natural rind and a bitter coating of toasted hops. Excellent with a light, hoppy beer.
  • Isle of Mull Cheddar cow. Traditional, farmhouse cheddar with an extra tang from the occasional use of grain from the Tobermory distillery to feed the cows.
  • Jersey Ogle Shield cow. Made with milk from Jersey cows, this semi-soft cheese is full and fruity with a sticky, orange, brine-washed rind.
  • Keen’s Cheddar cow. Artisan Cheddar matured for 12 months to give a creamy texture and rich, nutty, tangy flavour.
  • Keltic Gold cow, P, V. A delicately sweet, creamy Cornish cheese, washed in local cider to give an apple flavour and a sticky, orange, edible rind.
  • Leicester Smoked cow, P.
  • Lincolnshire Poacher cow. A hard, extra-mature, rinded cheese with plenty of flavour.
  • Lord London cow, P, V. Formed into uniquely cone-shaped cheeses, this is semi-soft with natural creaminess and a clean-tasting hint of citrus.
  • Lyburn Gold cow, P, V. Mellow and sweet with a smooth, supple texture and a natural rind. Similar to a Gouda.
  • Mexicana cow, P, V. Traditional farmhouse Cheddar, spiced up with bell pepper and chillis.
  • Montgomery’s Cheddar cow. Matured for 12 months to give a flaky texture and rich, lingering, nutty flavours.
  • Old Winchester cow, P, V. An extra-mature, dry, nutty, Parmesan-style cheese.
  • Olde Sussex cow, V. Cheddar-style cheese with a full body and plenty of flavour.
  • Posbury goat, V. A medium-soft cheese made in Devon to a Dutch recipe, with an unusual combination of garlic, onion, horseradish, paprika and ginger.
  • Scrumpy Sussex cow, V. Full-bodied Cheddar-style cheese blended with garlic, cider and herbs.
  • Smoked Wedmore cow, P, V. A zesty Caerphilly with chopped chives for a delicate, oniony sweetness. Smoked over cherry wood for a soft, bonfire fragrance.
  • Smoked Wensleydale cow, P, V. An acidic, crumbly cheese, cold-smoked to give a special tang and texture.
  • Spenwood sheep, V. Moist and mild cheese with a delicate, grassy tang, named after the Berkshire village where it originated.
  • Suffolk Gold cow, P, V. A semi-hard, creamy Gouda-style cheese with a golden colour and delicate flavour. Made with milk from Guernsey cows.
  • Ticklemore goat, P, V. Light and gently with a flaky texture and hard rind, without much of a goaty aroma.
  • Wensleydale with cranberries cow, P, V. An acidic, crumbly cheese balanced by the sweetness of cranberries.
  • Westcombe Cheddar cow. Mature Cheddar with a lactic tang and a deep flavour of citrus, hazelnut and caramel.
  • Wild Garlic Yarg cow, P, V. A creamy, lemony cheese with a firm texture and gently garlicky flavour from its wrapping of wild garlic leaves.
  • Wookey Hole Cheddar cow, P, V. Rich, tangy and mature, with earthy and nutty flavours from its maturation in caves. New for 2018.
  • Worcester White cow, P, V. Full-bodied, strong, Cheddar-style cheese with a creamy texture.
  • Y Fenni cow, P, V. Creamy Welsh Cheddar cheese made with mustard seed and ale for a distinctive, pungent flavour.

Soft cheeses

Soft-textured cheeses, many with natural white-mould rinds or other coatings. Look for the white labels in our display counter.

  • Admiral Collingwood cow. Smooth and semi-soft, with a full, mellow flavour. Made in Northumberland and washed in Newcastle Brown Ale.
  • Bath Soft cow, P, O. Mushroomy and creamy with a hint of lemons, and a white bloomy rind. New for 2018.
  • Bosworth Ash goat, V. A fresh, lemon-flavoured cheese rolled in salted ash beneath a layer of white rind, with a garnish of rosemary.
  • Burwash Rose cow, V. Semi-soft, mild cheese washed in rose water. Great with walnut bread.
  • Caboc cow, P, V. Scotland’s oldest cheese, this is light, nutty and creamy. Rolled in oatmeal. New for 2018.
  • Capricorn goat, P, V. Mild and crumbly, ripening to a creamy texture and fuller flavour.
  • Carlton sheep, P, V. Soft, creamy cheese from north Bedfordshire.
  • Cerney Ash Pyramid goat, V. Fresh, mild and goaty flavour with floral notes. Coated in French oak ash and sea salt.
  • College White cow, P. Rinded cheese, between a brie and a chaource in style.
  • Cote Hill Yellow cow. A soft, sweet, creamy cheese with a mellow flavour, matured for two months in a yellow wax coating.
  • DiVine cow, P, V. Soft, golden cheese washed in cider and wrapped in vine leaves. Full flavour.
  • Dorstone goat. A dry, fluffy-textured cheese with a sweet yet salty flavour and an ash coating.
  • Drunken Burt cow, P, V. Soft, golden cheese washed in cider. Slight smokey notes. Named after cheesemaker Claire Burt and not our previous festival organiser.
  • Durrus cow. Mild and creamy, semi-soft Irish cheese with a pinkish rind and earthy flavour. Good with fruit.
  • Golden Cross goat, V. A fresh, lemony cheese with a silky texture and velvety, white rind. Dusted with charcoal.
  • Milleens cow. The oldest Irish farmhouse cheese, this is soft and complex with a sweet, floral flavour and edible rind.
  • Norsworthy goat, V. A medium soft cheese with a mild flavour. New for 2018.
  • Olde York sheep, P, V. Similar to Feta, but more moist. Creamy, soft and refreshing.
  • Oxford Isis cow, P, V. Full-flavoured and pungent with a spicy tang. The rind is washed in mead.
  • Rollright cow, P. Mild, Reblochon-style cheese with a washed rind, made in the Cotswolds.
  • Rosary goat, P, V. Creamy with a mousse-like texture and natural acidity. New for 2018.
  • Slipcote sheep, P, V, O. Moist and fluffy with a fresh, lemony tang. The name is an old English word for a small portion of cottage cheese.
  • Somerset Brie cow, P, V. Soft, mild cheese with a fluffy, edible white rind.
  • Somerset Camembert cow, P, V. Rich and creamy with a soft, edible white rind.
  • Sister Sarah goat, P, V, O. Semi-soft, with a mild yet delicious flavour.
  • Stinking Bishop cow, P, V. With an odour of socks and wet towels, this creamy cheese has a unique, strong flavour and a sticky rind washed in perry.
  • Tovey goat. A lively, semi-soft cheese.
  • Tunworth cow, P. A mellow, nutty, mushroomy cheese with a white, edible rind.
  • Waterloo cow, V. A delicately flavoured, Guernsey-milk cheese. Creamy, with a yielding texture. New for 2018.
  • White Stilton with apricot cow, P, V. Combining mild, fresh white cheese with sweet and fruity dried apricots.
  • Winslade cow, P. Soft, gooey Vacherin-style cheese from Hampshire, packed in spruce to give floral, piney notes.
  • Yorkshire Fettle sheep, P, V. A Yorkshire-made version of Feta, with a soft, slightly crumbly texture and a sweet, lemony flavour.