Eat some cheese. Have your say.
The cheese awards of the people is back for 2025.
And this year, we’re feeling fresh.
PEOPLE'S CHEESE 2025
Britain’s Best New Cheese
Sponsored by:
Following heaps of cheese tasting fun during the ‘Heritage Edition’ of the competition last year, we’re now championing Britain and Northern Ireland’s newest cheeses – with the support of our friends at Chiswick Cheese Market, who are sponsoring ‘People’s Cheese 2025: Britain’s Best New Cheese’.
Cheesemaking innovation is booming in the UK, so you can expect plenty of exciting new wedges in this year’s line-up. These will range from new takes on the classics, to styles never before seen on our shores.
The competition’s mission is simple - to get the country’s best artisan cheese in front of more people.
Photo credit: Angus D. Birditt @angusdbirditt
Once again, we’re calling on the cheese loving public to taste, ponder and vote for your favourites.
HUNDREDS of you showed up for Round 1 at Chiswick Cheese Market - and we now have our four finalists!
THE FINAL
The live online final will take place on Wednesday 24 September at 7pm - hosted by comedian and certified curd nerd Marcus Brigstocke, along with The Real Cheese Project’s James Grant and a panel of experts.
The competition is 100% public voted all the way, so we need you to help choose our Champion!
Reserve your tasting box now to join our public judging panel.
To take part, simply reserve your box, await delivery and tune in on the night.
All boxes will arrive on Tuesday 23 September, ahead of the live final.
THE FINALISTS
Nanny Gwynn - Cornish Cheese Co., Cornwall
A goat’s milk version of Cornish Brie from Philip Stansfield and the team at Cornish Cheese Co. down in Liskeard - creamy, clean and fresh with a delicate hint of goat’s milk.
Ooh La La - Highland Fine Cheeses, Ross and Cromarty
From Rory Stone in the Highlands, Ooh La La is a lactic cheese made with cow’s milk and a little extra cream. It’s super soft and silky, with a delicately textured geotrichum rind.
Redlap - Stone Tree Dairy, Devon
Redlap is a hard, washed rind goat’s cheese, made using raw milk from Stone Tree’s own herd of goats down in Dartmouth, Devon.
Yr Afr - Wacky Wedge, Gwynedd
Made by Brad Cunningham in Bethesda, North Wales, Yr Afr is a Crottin-style lactic goat’s cheese with a geotrichum rind, produced using raw milk.
BE A CHEESE JUDGE!
PEOPLE’S CHEESE 2024
PC24 Champion: Extra Mature Cheddar by Keen’s Cheddar
Sponsored by:
In 2024, we took on Britain’s mighty territorials for the ‘Heritage Edition’ of the competition.
More cheeses meant more rounds, and we had an amazing time at Chiswick Cheese Market for the Heats and Semi-Finals, before streaming the final live from Mrs Kirkham’s in Lancashire, hosted by top comedian and cheese champion, Marcus Brigstocke.
In the live final on 11 October, Extra Mature Cheddar by Keen’s Cheddar won the public vote, up against Cropwell Bishop’s Blue Stilton, Bourne’s Cheshire Cheese, and Thelma’s Original Caerffili by Caws Cenarth.
We couldn’t have asked for a more fitting winner of our ‘Heritage Edition’ than this unpasteurised cheddar, which has been in production at Moorhayes Farm in Somerset since 1899. Five generations later, under the stewardship of George Keen, the family is still making cheese with raw milk from their 250-strong herd of Friesian cows – with Keen’s Extra Mature Cheddar matured for 18 months to achieve a moist texture and full-bodied flavour, with onion notes and plenty of tang.
Paul Heasman from Rowcliffe, sponsors of People’s Cheese 2024, commented:
“Keen’s Cheddar is a cornerstone of British cheese, and I think this award shows the enduring popularity of traditional clothbound cheddar, well over a century after the Keen family made their first truckle. We’ve loved celebrating Britain’s territorials during this year’s competition, and hope we’ve surprised a few members of the cheese loving public with what’s on offer out there.”
We’d like to say a massive cheesy thanks to all our judges (you lot), our entrants, our expert panel, and our supporters for making People’s Cheese 2024 so special.
