We tried eight British cheddars side by side

We bought eight British cheddars — four supermarket own-label, four Parish Larder stall — and tasted them blind on three criteria: salt balance, structural crumble, depth (presence of caramel / brothy / umami notes that develop with proper ageing). Five tasters, individual scores out of 5, no consultation. Here are the results in finishing order.

1. **Cotswold Creamery 24-month truckle** — £18/kg — composite score 4.7. Properly developed, savoury depth, the kind of crystalline crunch that signals years of patient work. Comfortable winner.

2. **Westcombe Dairy 18-month** (sourced through Pong Cheese, not on our platform) — £16/kg — 4.3.

3. **Cotswold Creamery 12-month** — £12/kg — 4.1. Notably less developed than the 24-month but still beautifully balanced. Best value of the test.

4. **Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Mature Cornish** — £8/kg — 3.4. Pleasant, well made, but flat compared to the artisan options. No notes beyond "cheddar".

5. **Tesco Finest Vintage** — £8/kg — 3.1. Salty, slightly aggressive, lacks complexity.

6. **Co-op Truly Irresistible Aged 18-Month** — £10/kg — 3.0. Surprisingly disappointing for the price; tasted younger than its label.

7. **Asda Extra Special Mature** — £6.50/kg — 2.7. Acceptable for cooking; not what you’d put on a board.

8. **Lidl Deluxe Cornish Cruncher** — £4.50/kg — 2.4. Cheap, salty, perfectly serviceable in a sandwich.

The finding that surprised us. The 12-month Cotswold at £12/kg outscored everything in supermarkets including the £8 own-label premium tier. The price gap with Lidl looks enormous on paper; the price gap with Tesco Finest is half what it appears once you account for the 800g vs 200g pack sizes.