Cheese at Waitrose

At Waitrose we are very passionate about the quality, food excellence and provenance of all of our cheeses, right through from the cheeses we buy, to the people who serve them to you.

How does Waitrose select cheeses?

Our buyers visit every producer we buy from, developing long-term relationships. We can trace right back to the milk used to make the cheese, and even the feed given to the cattle.

Quality is the number one priority, and with the producer, our buyers agree quality standards to ensure consistency, optimum flavour profiles and maturity to bring out the best in the cheese.

Authenticity is important too: for example our Keen's Farmhouse Cheddar is wrapped in muslin on the farm and made using unpasteurised milk.

What's special about Waitrose cheese counters?

Every branch of Waitrose has at least one cheese specialist, chosen because they have a passion for cheese. They're given special training, so they can advise customers and other Waitrose Partners on the cheeses we sell. They can tell you about any of our cheeses and give you ideas on how to serve them and how to put together interesting cheeseboards.

What's special about Waitrose prepacked cheeses?

We have a wonderful selection of cheeses in our prepacked range, many of which are exclusive Waitrose, such as the Garofola Buffalo Mozzarella, Baer's White Truffle Camembert and Colston Bassett Stilton.

We work closely with small artisan producers to bring you the very best selection of cheeses in terms of flavour and quality. Here is a small selection of what you can find in the prepacked cheese area:

Hawes Wensleydale

A traditionally made cloth bound Wensleydale that is matured more slowly to give a richer creamier flavour and texture. Made with real Wensleydale milk to a unique recipe for Waitrose.

Moody's Rosary Pink Peppercorn Goats' Cheese

Handmade by Chris and Clare Moody on their farm and named after the family home, The Rosary. This is a young, fresh cheese with a mousse like texture and a fresh clean flavour with hints of lemon and background notes of goats milk. The pink peppercorns add a bite and a light heat that complements the cheese.

Clarke's Sparkenhoe Red Leicester

This is the first traditional Red Leicester to be made in Leicestershire for 50 years. Unpasteurised milk from the Clarke's own herd is used to make a unique recipe for Waitrose. The cheese is made in the traditional way, being cloth bound and larded, and matured for 3 months. It has a mellow nutty flavour with hints of citrus.

Tasting cheeses

If you'd like to try any cheese from the service counter, just ask. These are the characteristics to look out for in different types of cheese.

White mould cheeses

These can smell of mushrooms and hay, and the outside should taste of butter and mushrooms. Inside, young cheeses should have a sharp, salty tang, and older ones a stronger flavour. The older the cheese, the runnier it should be, but if is smells of ammonia, it's past its best.

Blue cheeses

Blues should have a tangy aroma. The rind should be dry and rough, the inside creamy and straw-coloured. Blue cheeses cut and wrapped in plastic for too longer can become over-salty.

Hard cheeses

These should taste buttery and sweet, fruity and mouthwateringly tangy. The more mature, the stronger the flavour. Textures may vary from crumbly, like Cheshire, to firm and dense like Cheddar, and aromas from milky to strong.

Creating a cheese board

For a balanced cheese board with something for everyone, choose contrasting types of cheese.

• Try putting together a hard cheese, such as Cheddar or Double Gloucester, with a blue, such as Stilton, and a soft white mould cheese, such as Brie.
• Alternatively, select cheeses made from different types of milk. You could choose a goat's milk cheese such as Cerney, a ewe's milk cheese such as Malvern Ewe, and your favourite cow's milk cheese.

Our cheese counters are happy to advise on putting a cheeseboard together.

Try these cheese recipes: