28 British cheeses you've never heard of – but need to try
Cheese experts share the hidden gems around the country that any cheese lover needs to try
Britain’s artisan cheese scene is undergoing a quiet revolution, with a new wave of producers crafting extraordinary cheeses that reflect their local landscapes, milk and innovation. From remote Welsh dairies to urban micro-creameries, this is the real cheese underground: hand-ladled lactic curds, heritage breeds, experimental rinds and bold flavours.
In this guide, cheese experts from some of the UK’s leading cheesemongers and makers share their favourite under-the-radar cheeses – many of them so new they’ve never been written about before. Whether you’re a curious turophile, a cheeseboard aficionado or simply looking to taste something completely different, these 28 cheeses represent the future of British cheese. We’ve included flavour notes, reasons to seek them out and where to buy them – when possible! Get ready to discover something deliciously unexpected.
28 British cheeses you've never heard of but experts say you need to try
1. Long Swales
Why seek it out: So new it hasn’t even made it to TikTok or Instagram yet. With a herd of just eight sheep, supply is seriously limited so catch it while you can.
Flavour profile: Honeyed, sweet, rich and creamy with a soft, lactic-fresh core.
Maker: Chris and Paul Burgess, North Yorkshire
Milk: Sheep
Where to buy: thecourtyarddairy.co.uk
2. Chevin Goat
Why seek it out: When sheep’s milk became hard to source in 2024, Mario – Italian born, Yorkshire based – adapted his signature Yorkshire pecorino recipe to use goat’s milk instead. And so, Chevin was born.
Flavour profile: Savoury, delicately goaty and aromatic with a firm, granular texture.
Maker: Mario Olianas, Yorkshire Pecorino, Otley, West Yorkshire
Milk: Goat
Where to buy: thecourtyarddairy.co.uk
3. Redemore
Why seek it out: Atakan trained in Turkey – renowned for its dairy expertise – and went on to lead cheesemaking at Tunworth and St Gall. Now at Sparkenhoe, he’s developed this brand new Alpine-style cheese, debuting in August.
Flavour profile: Supple and springy in texture with nutty, sweet notes.
Maker: Atakan Tuncer, Leicestershire Handmade Cheese (Sparkenhoe), Upton
Milk: Cow
Where to buy: thecourtyarddairy.co.uk
4. Wakebridge White
Why seek it out: From a new micro-creamery that scooped Best New Cheese and Best Small Producer at the 2025 Artisan Cheese Awards.
Flavour profile: Starts creamy and savoury with sweet cream notes, maturing into nutty depth and mellow warmth.
Maker: Wakebridge Manor Creamery, Derbyshire
Milk: Sheep
Where to buy: thecheesesociety.co.uk/wakebridge-white
5. Carraig Bán
Why seek it out: The Hickeys' seventh cheese and third goat’s cheese, developed with Indie Füde to meet growing restaurant demand. Infused with cider honey jelly and smoked dulse flakes.
Flavour profile: Light, zingy and herbaceous
Maker: Dart Mountain Cheese, Derry, Northern Ireland
Milk: Goat
Where to buy: dartmountaincheese.com/carraig-ban
6. Coolattin Vintage Cheddar
Why seek it out: All year round cloth-bound, traditional-style cheddar by Tom Burgess made in Co Wicklow using the morning milk from the herds Holstein Friesian herd in the summer months. At Indie Füde, they typically bring it in after 12-14 months and age up to 18 months in Belfast before selling.
Flavour profile: Brothy and sharp with mild butterscotch.
Maker: Coolattin Cheddar, Co Wicklow, Ireland
Type of milk: Unpasteurised cow
Where to buy: indiefude.com
7. Young Buck
Why seek it out: An unpasteurised stilton-inspired blue by Michael Thompson. Milk is sourced from a single herd of Holstein Friesian cows in the rolling hills of County Down. Young Buck is matured to around 12 weeks to allow a mild blueing to form, a create a wonderfully creamy and perfectly balanced cheese.
Flavour profile: Peppery with tropical fruits and banana.
Maker: Michael Thompson, Mike’s Fancy Cheese, Co Down, Northern Ireland
Type of milk: Unpasteurised cow
Where to buy: indiefude.com or Mike’s Fancy Cheese
8. Nettus
Why seek it out: Emily Tydeman is new to the cheese world but already making a splash with her lactic sheep’s cheese Pyghtle. Its harder cousin, Nettus, is also made with raw sheep’s milk but is aged for three–four months to develop rich, savoury flavours.
Flavour profile: Supple, delicate, savoury and slightly spiced, with a subtle washed-rind flavour.
Maker: Emily Tydeman, Broughton Hall Dairy, Suffolk
Milk: Sheep
Where to buy: nealsyarddairy.co.uk
9. Yr Afr
Why seek it out: Brad and Beth only started making cheese a couple of years ago and we were amazed by the quality of cheese they’ve turned out from the get-go. Yr Afr is already a favourite on Neal's Yard retail counters.
Flavour profile: Juicy, aromatic lactic goat’s cheese with a long and complex flavour and a silky texture
Maker: Brad and Beth Cunningham, Wacky Wedge Cheese Co, North Wales
Milk: Goat
Where to buy: nealsyarddairy.co.uk
10. Paddy’s Milestone
Why seek it out: The local name for Ailsa Craig – a rocky island in the Firth of Clyde – this cheese is shaped like a boulder and makes a stunning cheeseboard centrepiece.
Flavour profile: Soft, fluffy and delicate. A bloomy rind surrounds an indulgent, creamy middle.
Maker: Dunlop Dairy, Stewarton, Ayrshire
Milk: Ayrshire cow
Where to buy: dunlopdairy.co.uk/cheese
11. Dhorlin
Why seek it out: Developed in 2024 by the Eaton family's daughter as a one-off experiment. It's since become a runaway success.
Flavour profile: A pasteurised, brine-washed cheese with a bouncy taleggio-like texture and nutty finish. A layer of dusty blue mould adds intrigue.
Maker: The Inverloch Cheese Company, Campbeltown, Argyll
Milk: Guernsey cow
Where to buy: mellischeese.net
12. Funky Grouse
Why seek it out: Launched in summer 2024, this soft blue cheese is the latest addition to a bird-themed, award-winning range from this artisan farm.
Flavour profile: Creamy, fresh, delicate and complex with a thin rind.
Maker: Drumturk Cheese, Blairgowrie, Perthshire
Milk: Toggenburg goat
Where to buy: Drumturk farm shop
13. Yoredale
Why seek it out: An authentic, old-school Wensleydale made by Ben and Sam Spence in their garage dairy in Wensley. They're now moving to a purpose-built facility on historic cheesemaking land.
Flavour profile: Milky, buttery, fresh and rich.
Maker: Curlew Dairy, Wensleydale, North Yorkshire
Milk: Cow
Where to buy: curlewdairy.co.uk
14. St. Piran
Why seek it out: A late 2024 collaboration between cheesemaker and affineur, washed to develop its signature orange rind in the Cotswolds.
Flavour profile: Savoury, buttery, meaty and rich.
Maker: Whalesborough Cheese, Bude, Cornwall
Milk: Cow
Where to buy: select UK cheesemongers
15. Bidlea Blue
Why seek it out: Inspired by a vine leaf-wrapped stilton that Claire won the blue category with in the 2024 Affineur of the Year competition – now available from specialist retailers.
Flavour profile: Hard blue with crumbly, yogurty youth and fudgy, mushroomy rind. Fruit and herbal notes round it out.
Maker: Claire Burt, Burt’s Cheese, Cheshire
Milk: Cow
Where to buy: cheese-etc.co.uk
16. Hidcote
Why seek it out: A seasonal cheese made only in spring and summer, using milk from freshly lambed ewes.
Flavour profile: Notes of hay, floral hints, nutty and lactic undertones. Smooth and creamy.
Maker: David Jowett, King Stone Dairy, Gloucestershire
Milk: Sheep
Where to buy: cheese-etc.co.uk
17. Golden Saye
Why seek it out: Launched in 2025, the name nods to 'Stratfield Saye', home to Anne Wigmore’s earliest experiments with Guernsey milk.
Flavour profile: Mildly savoury with a toothsome texture and subtle umami tang, finishing with gentle caramel sweetness.
Maker: Village Maid Dairy, Berkshire
Milk: Guernsey cow
Where to buy: cheese-etc.co.uk
18. Yorkshire Pecorino Fresco
Why seek it out: Voted 2024’s most improved British cheese and one of the UK’s only pecorino-style offerings.
Flavour profile: Zesty, milky and bright.
Maker: Mario Olianas, Yorkshire Pecorino, Otley, West Yorkshire
Milk: Sheep
Where to buy: Yorkshire Pecorino, regional cheesemongers and online retailers
19. Stonebeck
Why seek it out: A seasonal revival of lost Wensleydale traditions using rare-breed milk.
Flavour profile: Soft, floral, and grassy – pure Dales terroir.
Maker: Hattan family, Yorkshire Dales
Milk: Cow
Where to buy: Neal’s Yard Dairy and select Yorkshire stockists
20. Pyghtle
Why seek it out: Brand new in 2024 and winner of Best New Cheese at the Artisan Cheese Awards.
Flavour profile: Tangy, fudgy, savoury – with a roast lamb finish.
Maker: Emily Tydeman, Broughton Hall Dairy, Suffolk
Milk: Sheep
Where to buy: Neal's Yard Dairy and select retailers
21. Redlap
Why seek it out: A finalist in The Real Cheese Project’s Britain’s Best New Cheese competition, Redlap comes from one of Britain’s newest cheesemakers. Stone Tree Dairy began production in 2024 on a historic farm in South Devon, in an area where goats have been reared since the time of the Domesday Book.
Flavour profile: A hard, washed-rind goat’s cheese, Redlap is smooth and mellow. The cheese has a surprisingly complex flavour profile, boasting both fruity and savoury notes owing to the goats’ diverse diet of plants naturally foraged from the rolling coastal pastures of Dartmouth.
Maker: Martin and Helen Boyd, Stone Tree Dairy, Devon
Milk: Goat
Where to buy: See stockists at Stone Tree Dairy
22. Nanny Gwynn
Why seek it out: Released only last year, Nanny Gwynn is a goat’s milk version of Cornish Cheese Co.’s firm favourite, Cornish Brie. It’s been an immediate hit with cheese lovers, as the general public selected it as a finalist in Britain’s Best New Cheese 2025.
Flavour profile: This soft, bloomy rinded goat’s cheese is creamy, clean, earthy and fresh. Its texture ranges from silky to more gooey as the cheese matures, with the delicate hint of goat’s milk growing to become more pronounced and punchy with age.
Maker: Philip Stansfield, Cornish Cheese Co., Cornwall
Milk: Goat
Where to buy: cornishcheese.co.uk or specialist retailers
23. Ooh La La
Why seek it out: This playful Scottish take on the French classic style St. Félicien is so new, it’s not even on general sale yet! Set to launch very soon, Ooh La La is picking up awards already and was a fan favourite at this year’s Britain’s Best New Cheese competition.
Flavour profile: This lactic cheese from the Highlands is super soft and silky, with a delicately textured geotrichum rind. Made with cow’s milk and a little extra cream, the cheese’s rich and buttery character is balanced with more vegetal, savoury notes.
Maker: Rory Stone, Highland Fine Cheeses, Tain, Scotland
Milk: Cow
Where to buy: Highland Fine Cheeses (on sale soon)
24. Triple Rose
Why seek it out: The cheese has a mouth‑coating richness and decadence thanks to the triple cream – one of very few made in the UK.
Flavour profile: Earthy, mushroom notes on the rind giving way to a rich, citrussy middle and a salty finish.
Maker: Ballylisk Dairies, Portadown, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland
Milk: Pasteurised cow
Where to buy: ballyliskcheese.com
25. Kearney Blue
Why seek it out: This creamy, full‑flavoured blue cheese inspired by the beautiful Belfast landscape has received recognition at the International Cheese Awards, the World Cheese Awards and The Great Taste Awards.
Flavour profile: Fresh, salty and gentle spicy notes from the pockets of blue mould.
Maker: Paul McClean, Farmview Dairies, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Milk: Pasteurised cow
Where to buy: Indie Fude
26. St Barties
Why seek it out: Self‑taught cheesemaker Millie recently won a gold medal at the Royal Welsh Show for this cheese in the Young Producer’s category. Millie completed a PhD at Harper Adams University just last year and was one of the first recipients of the Chiswick Cheese Market Cheesemaker’s Grant in 2023.
Flavour profile: A classic brie, notes of butter and mushroom with a smooth and melting texture.
Maker: Millie Preece, The Dairy Door, Much Wenlock, Shropshire
Milk: Pasteurised cow
Where to buy: See stockists at The Dairy Door
27. Little Hereford
Why seek it out: Made to the original 1917 recipe from pioneering Ellen Yeld, it is aged carefully in the cellars of the historic Monkland Dairy and develops a punchy, savoury character with a distinctive orange rind and lingering finish.
Flavour profile: Sitting somewhere between a Caerphilly and a Cheddar, with buttery notes of shortbread and cream, getting sweeter and more tangy with age.
Maker: Monkland Cheesemakers, Herefordshire
Milk: Raw cow
Where to buy: Monkland Cheesemakers
28. Dillon
Why seek it out: Perry won Affineur of the Year for the third time in 2025 for the way he cared for and matured a base cheddar truckle from Quicke’s in Devon. If you want to try an award winner, this is among the best of the best, as judged by the industry’s elite.
Flavour profile: A bold and punchy aged cloth‑bound cheddar: sharp acidity with intense savoury and earthy notes driven deep into the paste by a spiked‑roller technique near the rind; slightly flaky but retaining hints of creaminess.
Maker: Originally Quicke’s but matured by Perry Wakeman, Rennet & Rind, Stamford, Lincolnshire
Milk: Cow
Where to buy: This limited-edition cheese was made for the awards in 2025, but should return in 2026 – one worth keeping an eye out for!
The cheese experts
Andy Swinscoe, The Courtyard Dairy
The Courtyard Dairy is an acclaimed cheese shop and maturing cave in North Yorkshire run by cheese judge Andy Swinscoe. thecourtyarddairy.co.uk
Lucie Nock, The Cheese Society
The Cheese Society is a family-run cheesemonger and café in Lincoln, known for curating unique British cheeses. thecheesesociety.co.uk
Johnny Mcdowell, Indie Füde, Belfast
Indie Füde is a Northern Irish deli and cheesemonger spotlighting Ireland’s best artisan producers. indiefude.com
Bronwen Percival, Neal’s Yard Dairy
Neal’s Yard Dairy is one of the UK's leading affineurs and champions of British farmhouse cheese, based in London.
nealsyarddairy.co.uk
Lorna Gould and Julie McLean, Milne & Pickles
Milne & Pickles is a Yorkshire-based cheese and provisions business specialising in small-batch British cheeses. milneandpickles.co.uk
Jazz Reeves, Paxton & Whitfield
Paxton & Whitfield is one of Britain’s oldest cheesemongers, founded in 1797 and based in London. paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk
Jen Grimstone-Jones, Cheese Etc
Cheese Etc is an award-winning independent cheesemonger in Pangbourne, Berkshire. cheese-etc.co.uk
Morgan Mcglynn, Cheeses of Muswell Hill
Cheeses of Muswell Hill is a specialist London cheese shop. cheesesonline.co.uk
Sam Brice, The Real Cheese Project
A collaboration to amplify and support the British artisan cheese industry. therealcheeseproject.co.uk
Rachel Holding, The Academy of Cheese
The Academy of Cheese is a UK‑based, not‑for‑profit organisation dedicated to promoting cheese knowledge and education. academyofcheese.org
Keith Kendrick, Good Food
Editor of Good Food magazine and judge for the World Cheese Awards, Artisan Cheese Awards and Virtual Cheese Awards. @keithkendrick
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