Here’s the cheese list for the 46th 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
Here’s some ideas on how to pair beer and cheese
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Golden Cross goat, V. A fresh, lemony cheese with a silky texture and velvety, white rind. Dusted with charcoal.
- Norsworthy goat, V. A medium soft cheese with a mild flavour.
- 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.
- 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.
- Smoked Carlton sheep, P, V. Lightly smoked with apple wood to enhance the delicate, creamy flavour of the 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.
- 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.
- 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.