International Cheese Lovers' Day

INTERNATIONAL CHEESE LOVERS’ DAY – Jan 20th

Every January 20th, the world pauses for a moment of shared obsession: International Cheese Lovers' Day. If your heart melts for cheese, you’re a “turophile,” which means cheese lover. The term pairs the Greek word for cheese, “tyros,” with “phile” which means lover of. Whether you’re a fan of the sharpest English Cheddar, the creamiest French Brie, or the "funkiest" blue, today is your license to indulge.

I come from a country where most people are turophiles and everyday is Cheese Lovers’ Day so if you ask me to say ‘cheese' for a photo, be prepared for a 45-minute lecture on the rind-to-paste ratio of Roquefort. My blood type isn't O-positive, it's Brie-positive. But enough about me.

Although no one knows exactly when it was first produced, the general consensus is that cheese first appeared around 8000 BC. According to an ancient legend, it was accidentally made by a nomad, travelling with a camel in the “Fertile Crescent” in Iraq. While riding the camel, the milk in the nomad’s sheepskin saddlebag had separated the curds from the whey. The rocking walk of the camel stirred the milk and eventually created cheese!

The basic principles behind making cheese are quite simple. Let the milk sour then separate the curds (solids) from the whey (liquid). The curds are then salted and left to age.

Cheese isn't just food; it’s one of humanity’s oldest culinary arts. From the limestone caves of Roquefort to the rolling hills of Vermont, cheese tells a story of geography, history, and craftsmanship.

London has its own storied relationship with this "edible gold" dating back centuries. In the medieval era, the city was the primary hub for the cheese trade, with massive quantities of farmhouse wheels arriving via the River Thames to be sold at markets like the historic Cheapside - named after the Old English word for "market." Perhaps the most famous moment in London’s cheese history occurred during the Great Fire of 1666, when the famed diarist Samuel Pepys was so desperate to save his expensive Parmesan that he famously buried a wheel of it in his garden to protect it from the flames.

This passion persists today; while the UK boasts over 700 diverse varieties, London serves as the ultimate showroom for them all. In the city's specialised delis and legendary cheesemongers - such as Paxton & Whitfield, which has stood since 1797 – you will typically find 50 to 100 different British and international types on any given day. From traditional cloth-bound Cheddars to experimental artisanal creations sourced from local farms and global producers, London remains a global capital for the discerning turophile.

If you needed any more reason to indulge, look no further than the British Monarchy, who have been "turophiles" for nearly a millennium. The royal love affair began in the 12th century when King Henry II purchased over 10,000 lbs of Cheddar, establishing its pedigree as a noble staple. While Cheshire holds the title of England’s oldest cheese - enjoyed since the time of the Domesday Book - modern monarchs have kept the tradition alive with a focus on sustainability. King Charles III is a vocal advocate for artisan varieties, often favouring the punchy Lancashire Bomb, the historic Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, and the creamy Colston Bassett Stilton. Whether it’s a pungent wheel of Stinking Bishop (a Royal Warrant holder) or a classic Double Gloucester, cheese remains the crowning jewel of any royal banquet.

Over the last few decades, the United Kingdom has emerged as a formidable innovator in global cheesemaking, fostering an artisanal renaissance that now challenges the traditional supremacy of its continental neighbours.

If the "Territorials" (Cheddar, Stilton, Leicester, Wensleydale) are the grandfathers of the British cheese board, the new generation is the trendy, experimental group of cousins who went on a gap year to France and came back with better ideas. Here’s a tiny selection:

1. Baron Bigod [Fen Farm Dairy in Bungay, Suffolk] - it is the only traditional raw-milk Brie of its kind made in the UK. It is earthy, mushroomy and incredibly silky.

2. Cornish Yarg [Lynher Dairies in Truro, Cornwall] - semi-hard cow's milk cheese wrapped in stinging nettle leaves; the nettle wrap is edible and imparts a delicate earthy flavour while giving the cheese a beautiful, mottled green appearance.

3. Redlap (Stone Tree Dairy) - this cheese was crowned Britain’s Best New Cheese 2025 only one year after the dairy started production. It’s an Alpine-style cheese made from raw goat’s milk in Devon. It’s a "washed-rind" goat cheese - a style rarely seen in the UK - giving it a distinctive rust-coloured exterior; mimics a French Tomme but with a smoother, more mellow complexity that changes with the seasons.

4. Redemore (Sparkenhoe) - launched in late 2025 by the team behind the famous Sparkenhoe Red Leicester; it’s a supple, springy cow's milk cheese inspired by the mountains of Europe but made in the heart of Leicestershire; it’s sweet and nutty, designed to be the ultimate "melting" cheese for the UK's growing obsession with raclette and fondue.

If you love cheese and are looking for something special, consider some of the following:

• A cheese soufflé

• A pear, walnut and gorgonzola salad

• A caramelised onion and goat’s cheese tart

I’m topping off this blog the only way I know how: with extra Parmesan. I’d write a longer conclusion, but I have a date with a wheel of Raclette and I’m not fond-ue of waiting. Happy International Cheese Lovers’ Day - may your board be full and your lactose intolerance non-existent!