Our Christmas orders are now closed. You can still buy our Cheese Subscriptions to start in January, as well as book our courses and tasting events. If you want to purchase vouchers you can do so until the 20th December but please note that it can take up to 48 hours for the vouchers to be emailed to you as we process these manually.

We have a full counter of cheese in our shop in Pangbourne so you can still come in and purchase items in store

A picture of a wedge of Sticky Toffee Cheddar. It is sat on a rustic, wooden table

Sticky Toffee Cheddar Cheese

Price range: £2.65 through £15.90

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Sticky toffee cheddar is a winner because it ticks both the sweet and savoury boxes. You get all the richness and depth of cheddar, with the toffee adding a bit of fun. It’s the sort of cheese that works just as well on a casual cheeseboard as it does at a special occasion. Whether you’re nibbling it on a cheeseboard, melting it into a sandwich, or enjoying it with a glass of wine, sticky toffee cheddar brings together the best of both worlds: savoury and sweet.
  • Cow’s milk cheese
  • Lancashire, England
  • Medium
  • Pasteurised milk
  • Vegetarian rennet
  • Available in wedges or pre-order a half wheel
Description

Description

Sticky toffee Cheddar Cheese

About Sticky Toffee Cheddar Cheese

Sticky toffee pudding has always been a favourite of mine, and I suspect I’m not the only one. So you can imagine my delight when I found out that some inventive British cheesemakers have managed to bring together its rich, caramelised sweetness with trusty old cheddar. The result? Sticky toffee cheddar. It’s a fairly new addition to the cheese world, and it marries the sharp, savoury tang of cheddar with the sweet, toffee notes of the pudding. It sounds a bit bonkers, but it really does work. I love that cheesemakers are always coming up with new surprises, all while keeping one foot firmly in tradition.

 

The Story

Sticky toffee cheddar is what happens when two British classics, cheddar and sticky toffee pudding, join forces. Let’s start with the cheese.

Cheddar hails from the village of Cheddar in Somerset and, if you ask me, it’s one of the world’s great cheeses. It’s been around since at least the 12th century and has worn many hats over the years, from mild and creamy to properly strong and tangy. What I really like about cheddar is how it keeps its character, even as it welcomes new flavours and ideas. It’s a brilliant starting point for a bit of creative cheesemaking.

Sticky toffee pudding is a relative newcomer next to cheddar, but it’s already earned its place as a British classic. If you’ve ever wandered through the Lake District, you might have stumbled across the famous Cartmel Sticky Toffee Sauce. It all started back in the late 1980s at the Cartmel Village Shop in Cumbria, where Howard and Jean Johns were busy in their little back kitchen, cooking up something special. What began as a treat for the locals soon took on a life of its own, all thanks to its rich flavour and the fact that it’s made by hand with proper, natural ingredients. Before long, word had got out, and the sauce (and its equally moreish pudding) was being enjoyed well beyond the village. I have to say, it’s one of those rare things that really does live up to its reputation.

Blending the rich, toffee flavours of the pudding with the savoury tang of cheddar is a fairly new idea. Cheesemakers have been getting more adventurous lately, adding all sorts of things, fruit, herbs, even a few spices, to their cheeses. Sticky toffee cheddar is one of those modern twists that shows just how far we’ve come in mixing sweet and savoury.

 

The Make

To make sticky toffee cheddar, cheesemakers start with a good, traditional cheddar, made from pasteurised cow’s milk. They then add a little extra (dates, raisins, toffee and a squirt of Cartmel Sticky Toffee Sauce) to echo the flavours of the pudding. The cheddar is aged for a few months, just long enough to get that lovely balance between strength and creaminess. The result is a cheese with all the crumbly, tangy character of cheddar, but with little pockets of sweet, smooth toffee running through it. It’s a real treat if you like a bit of adventure on your cheeseboard.

 

Sticky Toffee Cheddar – Jen’s Tasting Notes

The first thing you’ll spot with sticky toffee cheddar is its look, bright orange cheddar with little flecks of toffee running through. On the nose, there’s that lovely, rich caramel aroma, mingling with the savoury, milky notes of the cheese. It’s not your everyday cheddar, but that’s half the fun.

Taste-wise, it’s a real surprise. First, you get the tangy hit from the cheddar, then the toffee comes in with a smooth, buttery sweetness. The cheese is creamy, which helps balance things out, and the little bits of toffee add a lovely chewy contrast to the crumbly cheddar. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster for your taste buds, but in the best way. Instead, you get this lovely balance of savoury and sweet, with just enough caramel to bring out the best in the cheddar. The finish is clean, with a gentle caramel note that lingers and makes you want to take another bite.

 

How to Serve and Pair Sticky Toffee Cheddar
  • Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
  • Classic pairings: Try pairing it with a late-harvest Riesling or a Moscato. These wines have enough sweetness to complement the toffee while maintaining acidity to cut through the richness.
  • Something a little different: If you’re more of a beer person, I’d go for a Belgian Dubbel or an Amber Ale; the malty sweetness really brings out the caramel notes in the cheese.
  • On the plate: When it comes to accompaniments, I like to keep things simple; a good cracker or a slice of baguette lets the cheese do the talking. A handful of roasted almonds or walnuts adds a lovely crunch, too.
  • In the kitchen: This cheese melts really well, try slicing a banana, adding sticky toffee cheddar, wrapping it in tin foil and bake it for a few minutes…instant sticky toffee banoffee pie!

 

Jen’s note: Sticky toffee cheddar has even made its way onto dessert cheese boards. Yes, really! It’s often paired with dark chocolate, caramel sauce, and spiced nuts; a brilliant way to blur the lines between cheese and pudding. If you’re feeling brave, give it a go at your next dinner party.

 

Buying Wensleydale with Apricots
  • Brand or Producer: Carron Lodge Cheesemakers
  • Product name: Sticky Toffee Cheddar
  • Milk: Cow
  • Country: England
  • Region: Lancashire
  • Strength: Medium
  • Vegetarian: Yes
  • Suitable for pregnancy: Yes
  • Allergens: MILK

 

Sizes and Prices

  • 100g wedge, £2.65
  • 500g wedge, £13.25
  • 1/2 Wheel (approx. 1kg), available to pre-order

 

Storage Advice

  • Keep refrigerated
  • Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
  • Remove from the fridge before serving
  • Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening

 

Delivery and Collection

  • UK wide courier delivery
  • Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
  • Free local delivery available for selected postcodes

 

Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)

Cheddar cheese (MILK, salt, rennet, starter cultures), chopped dates (dates, rice flour), raisins (raisins, vegetable oil), toffee pieces (white granulated sugar, glucose syrup, sweetened condensed milk, (MILK, sugar), palm oil (RPSO Segregated), butter (MILK) Oil, Natural Flavour), Cartmel Sticky Toffee Sauce (sugar, whipping cream (MILK), salted butter (MILK, Salt), vanilla extract.

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Christmas Opening Hours

Normal opening Monday – Saturday 9am – 4pm until:

Sunday 22nd 9am – 4pm
Monday 23rd 9am – 4pm
Christmas Eve 9am – 12pm
Christmas Day Closed
Boxing Day Closed
Friday 27th Closed
Saturday 28th 9am – 4pm
Sunday 29th Closed
Monday 30th 9am – 2pm
Tuesday 31st 9am – 2pm
New Year’s Day Closed
Thursday 2nd January Closed
Friday 3rd 9am – 4pm then open as normal

After Christmas our courier delivery slots start from 8th January.