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:
We turned our attentions to Britain and Northern Ireland’s newest cheeses in 2025 – with the support of our friends at Chiswick Cheese Market, who sponsored ‘People’s Cheese 2025: Britain’s Best New Cheese’.
Following Round 1 of voting at Chiswick Cheese Market in June, our public jury chose four incredible new cheeses to go head-to-head in our live online final. But there could only be one winner…
The competition’s mission is simple - to get the country’s best artisan cheese in front of more people. Once again, hundreds of you have joined us on our journey. Thanks to everyone who has got involved, and helped to spread the word on real cheese.
Photo credit: Angus D. Birditt @angusdbirditt
People’s cheese 2025
PC25 Champion: Redlap by Stone Tree Dairy
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Stone Tree Dairy in Dartmouth, Devon for taking the title of Britain’s Best New Cheese with their incredible Redlap, during our live online final on Wednesday 24 September.
We had four awesome finalists in People’s Cheese 2025, and the public vote was tight. But in the end, it was Stone Tree Dairy’s Alpine-style, raw milk, washed rind goat’s cheese that took the crown.
Similar in style to a Tomme, made in the Alpine regions of France and Switzerland, Redlap is unlike any other cheese being produced in the UK today. With its distinctive rust-coloured rind, Redlap has a smooth, mellow, yet complex flavour profile, which develops throughout the seasons. It’s just so easy to love. This incredible accolade comes just one year after Stone Tree Dairy started making cheese.
A massive shout out too to our other three finalists, who made it to the final against some seriously strong competition in the earlier rounds. Yr Afr from Wacky Wedge in Bethesda, North Wales, Nanny Gwynn from Cornish Cheese Co. in Liskeard, and Ooh La La! from Highland Fine Cheeses in Ross and Cromarty, are all very special, new, and exciting cheeses - so track them down if you haven’t already had the pleasure!
Thanks so much for all the support and love from our sponsors, Chiswick Cheese Market, who have been with us every step of the way, to our wonderful host Marcus Brigstocke, and our panel of truly exceptional experts - Tracey Colley from the Academy of Cheese, Lucy Cufflin from Chiswick Cheese Market, food writer Clare Finney, and author and photographer, Angus D. Birditt.
But the biggest thanks must be reserved for YOU - our public judging panel. Without you, the people, People’s Cheese simply wouldn’t be possible.
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.
